Chapter 21: Hope

Words : 1456 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Humanity had spent decades researching controlled nuclear fusion technology. While they hadn’t yet broken through its technical limitations, the massive accumulation of research data over the years provided Xiao Yu with invaluable references. Particularly during the Jupiter-Moon Collision, the phenomena that occurred on Jupiter taught Xiao Yu a critical lesson. Building on this foundation, combined with the powerful computational capabilities of the photon computer, Xiao Yu finally achieved a significant technological breakthrough. In the controlled nuclear fusion research lab at Base Two, there was a massive glass chamber crisscrossed with various wires. These wires generated a specific magnetic field. Suspended within this magnetic field, at the center of the glass chamber, was a brilliantly radiant light point, hovering in midair. It continuously emitted immense light and heat, so intense it couldn’t be directly observed. The process of nuclear fusion was underway, as deuterium and tritium fused into helium. In this transformation, a portion of their mass was converted into energy. Xiao Yu allocated 10% of his computational power to monitor this process, rapidly performing a myriad of calculations. As he reviewed the experimental data, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but feel an intense surge of excitement. He had waited far too long for this moment. Using chemical fuel for interstellar travel was impractical due to its low energy efficiency. To reach the Proxima Centauri star system from the Solar System using chemical fuel, Xiao Yu estimated he would need a kilometer-long spacecraft, with over 90% of its volume filled with fuel, just to barely make the trip. Controlled nuclear fusion was the key to unlocking the door to interstellar travel. Without it, Xiao Yu would forever be confined to the Solar System, unable to escape its bounds. “Alright, let’s start building the next-generation fusion-powered spacecraft!” Xiao Yu launched a new plan to construct a revolutionary spacecraft. Every aspect of the ship—from its propulsion system to its structural materials and control systems—would utilize the latest technologies. Everything he had built up to this point had been in service of this goal. Massive special steel smelting furnaces continuously produced streams of dark red molten steel. Once cooled, the molten steel would solidify into ingots for processing. But before cooling, Xiao Yu added an extra step. This step involved subjecting the molten steel to five minutes of radiation from Specimen One. Experiments had shown that when metals were in a high-temperature liquid state, minimal radiation from Specimen One could achieve maximal performance enhancements. Thus, the unfortunate Specimen One was relocated to this facility, serving as an unwitting laborer. This five-minute radiation treatment enhanced the special steel’s performance to over three times its original levels. In addition, Xiao Yu incorporated the black insect carcasses into the steel during the smelting process. This significantly improved the steel’s insulation and radiation resistance. Xiao Yu spared no effort to produce the highest quality materials. After processing in the equipment manufacturing facility, these materials were transformed into components for a groundbreaking, epoch-defining spacecraft. In the massive assembly hall of the main base, components from hundreds of manufacturing facilities were brought together. Hundreds of robots worked tirelessly, assembling intricate components piece by piece. It took six full months of labor to complete the spacecraft. This spacecraft was a disc-shaped vessel with a diameter of 20 meters and a height of about five meters. It featured a fusion-powered engine, the latest photon computer control system, and the finest steel materials Xiao Yu could produce. This ship was the culmination of Xiao Yu’s effort and ingenuity—the most advanced spacecraft he could build with his current technology. To construct this ship, Specimen One’s radiation intensity was reduced to 30% of its maximum capacity, with 70% consumed during the process. Nearly 200 tons of black insect carcasses were used, accounting for 30% of the current reserves. Despite the enormous costs, Xiao Yu believed it was worth it. Even if Specimen One’s radiation was depleted, he could capture another from Jupiter. As for the black insect carcasses, he was even less concerned. Over the past months, Xiao Yu had discovered the insects in at least a thousand larger lakes on Titan. Their estimated biomass reached several million tons—enough to build an entire fleet. Today marked the spacecraft’s maiden flight. Xiao Yu paused most construction projects and allocated 40% of his photon computer’s computational power to oversee the event. This 40% was equivalent to the total processing power of all supercomputers on Earth combined. “I must ensure nothing goes wrong,” Xiao Yu thought silently. “You carry the hope of my interstellar ambitions. I’ll name you Hope.” The Hope weighed approximately 3,000 tons, a spacecraft Xiao Yu classified as a “Village-Class” vessel. In his planned hierarchy, ships exceeding 10,000 tons would be designated “Town-Class,” with increasing classifications like “County-Class,” “City-Class,” “Province-Class,” and “Nation-Class” corresponding to their size. Under Xiao Yu’s meticulous monitoring, the Hope emitted a pale blue flame from its base, slowly lifting off the ground. Unlike traditional spacecraft, the Hope required no rocket to reach interstellar space. Its powerful and efficient propulsion system provided sufficient and sustained thrust for direct takeoff. Furthermore, its advanced materials and structural design ensured that it could withstand planetary gravity and atmospheric drag without adhering to conventional aerodynamics or risking disintegration during high-speed maneuvers. Ten seconds later, the Hope reached an altitude of 3,000 meters. The intense friction caused its hull to glow faintly red, with an estimated surface temperature exceeding 800°C. Yet Xiao Yu was unconcerned. The spacecraft’s hull, composed of special steel infused with black insect carcasses, easily withstood this heat. The spacecraft’s speed increased steadily. Within one minute, the Hope reached an altitude of 100 kilometers, entering Titan’s orbital trajectory, but it continued to accelerate. At this point, communication between Xiao Yu and the Hope relied entirely on the twelve War God satellites previously launched. Xiao Yu maneuvered the Hope out of Titan’s orbit and performed an abrupt deceleration in open space, reducing its velocity from 3 kilometers per second to near zero. “Overload resistance test... passed.” On Earth, gravity exerts an acceleration of 9.8 m/s2. This means that on a spacecraft accelerating at this rate, the perceived gravity would mimic Earth’s. If the spacecraft were to accelerate at 19.6 m/s2, the perceived gravity would double. This phenomenon is referred to as “overload.” Trained elite pilots can withstand up to ten times Earth’s gravity, or an acceleration of 98 m/s2. Beyond this threshold, the human body suffers irreparable damage or death. Spacecraft structures also have a maximum overload limit. Conventional large aircraft can endure up to 20 times Earth’s gravity; exceeding this limit would cause the structure to be torn apart by inertial and aerodynamic forces. Before Earth’s destruction, human-built spacecraft could withstand overloads of 30 to 40 times Earth’s gravity, equivalent to a maximum acceleration of 400 m/s2. Beyond this limit, spacecraft would succumb to inertial forces. Xiao Yu’s recent test revealed that his spacecraft could endure a staggering overload of 230 times Earth’s gravity, translating to a maximum acceleration of 2,200 m/s2. This meant the Hope could accelerate from a standstill to 2,000 meters per second in just one second or decelerate from 2,000 meters per second to a halt just as quickly. Such extraordinary maneuverability, combined with Xiao Yu’s unparalleled computational capabilities, rendered the Hope nearly invincible. Even if thousands of guns fired simultaneously at the ship, Xiao Yu could pilot the Hope to evade every shot within seconds. After completing the overload resistance test, Xiao Yu initiated another trial. “Conventional fuel storage test: maximum operating speed.” In space travel, fuel is consumed only during acceleration, deceleration, or course adjustments. During steady flight, momentum carries the craft without fuel expenditure. The fastest spacecraft built by humanity using chemical or fission propulsion was Voyager 1, which reached a velocity of approximately 18 kilometers per second relative to the Sun. Its speed was constrained by the limited fuel available. Xiao Yu, by contrast, had reached 60 kilometers per second before arriving at Titan, thanks to supplemental fuel supplies. Now, Xiao Yu aimed to determine the maximum speed the Hope could achieve with its standard fuel reserves. The Hope’s rear propulsion system unleashed a powerful burst of blue flame, accelerating at a terrifying rate, growing faster and faster. “Conventional fuel storage test: maximum operating speed... 300 kilometers per second! With standard fuel reserves, the Hope can perform at least six such acceleration and deceleration cycles! If deceleration is disregarded and the engine operates at maximum power continuously, the spacecraft could reach 1,000 kilometers per second before exhausting its fuel!” This data left Xiao Yu deeply astonished.

Chapter 21: Hope

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