Chapter 10: The Tractor

The steam generator was completed, and the steelmaking blast furnace was built, yet neither could be put into use at this moment. This was because the high-capacity thermal power generator demanded far more fuel supply.

The current mining team was already stretched to their limits just maintaining the two existing generators. Adding one more generator, requiring several times the fuel of the two combined, would be impossible to support even if every clone available were assigned to mining.

Even incorporating the five newly added clones into the mining team wouldn't suffice.

At present, the mining method relied on driving planetary rovers powered by their electric systems. The equipment used electric heating to cut through solid oxygen and solid thorium, which were then loaded into the rover’s cargo bed and transported back.

Since the planetary rover was never designed for mining, it had limited capacity and cutting power. Although the gravity on Roshen Star was extremely low, repeatedly moving solid oxygen and thorium over long periods was exhausting, and the clones' transport efficiency remained low.

Increasing manpower for mining was not practical—there simply weren’t enough clones, and even if there were, such waste of human resources was unacceptable.

Li Qingsong had a better solution.

Why not build a tractor?

With a tractor dedicated to transportation, the current predicament would be resolved effortlessly. Whether transporting iron ore or meeting the fuel demands of the high-power generators, the problem would be solved.

The challenge now was how to actually build this tractor.

Two clones stationed aboard the Deep Space vessel resumed their intense studies.

After mastering the fundamental principles, the 22 brains Li Qingsong controlled worked in unison, thinking far faster than any ordinary person, swiftly completing the blueprints.

Thus, the ore refining and processing equipment resumed operation, churning out parts continuously, which the clones then carefully assembled.

At first, the assembled structure revealed nothing of its purpose.

It looked like a large iron container, covered with irregular protrusions and connection ports.

But as more parts were produced, it gradually took shape.

Eventually, a relatively small steam engine appeared before the clones.

Indeed, this tractor would not be powered by an internal combustion engine, nor by electricity like the planetary rover—it ran on steam.

At this stage, Li Qingsong had found no other viable energy source besides steam.

Once the heart of the tractor—the steam engine—was completed, the remaining parts became easier to manufacture. After more than a month, the tractor’s front unit was finally finished.

Looking at the tractor head before him—equipped with four steel wheels, about 1.5 meters tall, 2 meters wide, and roughly 2.2 meters long, with a rough and crude appearance—Li Qingsong, who had labored for over two months, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Finally done…”

This was a fully mechanical tractor, with no electrical components whatsoever.

Its internal mechanism relied entirely on mechanical structures for power transmission and fuel regulation, crude and primitive to the extreme.

Such a machine would likely end up in a museum if brought to Earth.

Yet, for Li Qingsong at this moment, it was invaluable.

After providing the initial heat to melt the solid oxygen and thorium fueling the steam engine, the machine finally roared to life.

Li Qingsong patiently waited as the ice melted and steam built up.

This process took over ten minutes, until a faint vibration ran through the chassis, signaling that the power was ready.

Yes, each startup required a good ten minutes, and cold starts were impossible—it always needed external heat assistance to begin running.

If it broke down in the wild, it couldn’t restart on its own and would have to await rescue.

A clone climbed aboard, grabbed the gear lever, and engaged the drive. Immediately, the steam power transferred to two of the four wheels, which in turn drove all four wheels to roll simultaneously, pulling the tractor forward at a slow pace.

As the steam engine’s power grew, the tractor’s speed increased, eventually reaching its maximum of about ten kilometers per hour—roughly the pace of a normal human jog.

“This speed is acceptable.”

Li Qingsong promptly moved on to the next test.

The tractor’s cargo bed was already built—a steel container two meters wide, four meters long, and half a meter deep.

It had connection ports at the front that allowed it to attach directly to the tractor head, enabling it to be pulled along.

Li Qingsong directed the clones to load large chunks of thorium and oxygen ore into the cargo bed, accumulating about seven to eight cubic meters weighing six to seven tons. He then started the tractor head again.

This time, the tractor struggled noticeably.

Thick black smoke billowed from the chimney, quickly dissipating into the vacuum of Roshen Star’s surface, then drifting down like black snow from afar.

The tractor shuddered, its four steel wheels laboriously rolling as it towed the heavy cargo bed forward, reaching a top speed of only six to seven kilometers per hour.

Li Qingsong watched intently until the clone drove it about one to two kilometers along the canyon, then turned back.

A group of clones immediately inspected the tractor head closely. Only after confirming it was in good condition with no faults did Li Qingsong’s heart truly relax.

Following the inspection, the tractor was put into immediate use.

It rumbled silently up a gentle slope connecting the canyon to the surface, finally reaching the barren, desolate terrain of Roshen Star.

After more than an hour navigating around ravines and undulating terrain, traveling over ten kilometers, it arrived at a previously surveyed oxygen-rich mining site.

Thorium ore was abundant on the surface, easily sourced nearby, while oxygen ore was scarcer, requiring a drive to locate.

Two clones descended from the tractor head, each retrieving a heat dissipation pipe—one end connected to the steam engine, serving as a heating and cutting device.

Beneath the ground, pale blue oxygen ore shimmered with an otherworldly glow under the dim sun and miner’s lamps.

Under the heat pipe’s warmth, a large quantity of solid oxygen rapidly vaporized and vanished. Soon, a sizable chunk of oxygen ore was cut free, lifted by clones and loaded into the cargo bed.

Before long, the cargo bed was full, weighing seven to eight tons.

The tractor then roared again, moving back to Base One at an even slower pace than before.

The once sparse fuel stockpile was quickly filled to capacity.

Staring at the abundant fuel, Li Qingsong exhaled deeply.

“This is perfect. With this tractor, the mining team doesn’t need more personnel; in fact, it can be reduced from five to two. The other three clones can now be freed up for other tasks.”