Helios-Gaia
《The Ark of the Archive》

Episode 5: Helios-Gaia

“Civilization is born not from planets, but from ideas.”

If the planet itself were a “living being”—how would civilization change?

Novel Mirai addressed the high-performance data robot that had only just been completed. With a capacity one hundred thousand times greater than conventional models, it was a new companion capable of storing all records.
“Ensnovi, give me the basic information on Planet Lilinas.”

Their next destination was the homeworld of Lambda Griss—Planet Helios-Gaia.
Why was that unparalleled thinker born on that world? If they could uncover the reason, they might discover a new vision of civilization beyond the inevitable dark age ahead.

And yet—there remained an inescapable unease within Mirai’s thought circuits.
He had once done something irreversible—not only to Lambda himself, but also to his family.

And this time as well—to the family of Hugh Donack.
By now, he should have been aboard a regular flight from Planet Nackcell to Lilinas. His sudden disappearance from the academic conference must have caused some confusion.

However, Mirai had secretly placed a large amount of credits into his bag and prepared a plausible explanation that would reassure his family. Furthermore, Mirai had given Hugh a ticket to Planet Lilinas, along with more than enough credits for his initial expenses there—packed together in a special bag.

The data robot—Q. Ritchie Ensnovi—responded:
“Planet Helios-Gaia has approximately 1% less mass than Planet Nackcell; therefore, its agriculture primarily depends on indoor hydroponics. In particular, the cultivation of specialty plants is highly developed.

…Additionally, many of the early settlers were ‘Helios adherents’ who followed the ideas of the physicist-biologist James Lovelock from the Planet Ealt era. He regarded the entire planet as a single living organism.”

Come to think of it—
Lambda Griss himself had mentioned that he came from a hydroponic farming family.

Novel Mirai quietly lowered his internal cooling by one level.
“…Helios, again.”

To be continued…

○ Ultra-Short Summary
Mirai heads to Helios-Gaia—toward the core of a civilization shaped by Lovelockian thought.

○ Previous Episode Summary
A sealed talent and a moving destiny. Novel Mirai guided Hugh Donack and quietly set his plan in motion.

○ Next Episode Preview
On Helios Gaia, the truth of a “living planet” is revealed. What will Mirai discover at the origin of Lambda Griss’s thought?

○ Question (for comments)
Do you agree with the idea of viewing a planet as a “living organism”? Or do you think it is dangerous?

○ Glossary

□ Helios Doctrine: A philosophical system that views an entire planet as a single living organism, integrating environment, ecology, and civilization.

□ Hydroponics: An agricultural technique that grows plants using nutrient solutions instead of soil; well-suited for closed planetary environments.

□ Gaian Perspective: A way of thinking that treats life and environment not as separate, but as an interconnected, interactive system.

□ Internal Cooling: A self-regulation mechanism used by advanced intelligences (AI, enhanced humans, etc.) to control cognitive load.