Chapter 3: The Winds of Jupiter

Through his telescope, Xiao Yu observed the debris from Earth’s explosion beginning to exhibit chaotic fluctuations. Smaller fragments veered off their orbits, heading toward the Sun, while the larger ones remained relatively stable within their trajectories. Xiao Yu let out a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate that both the Sun and himself had narrowly escaped catastrophe. This was the nature of high-energy radiation bursts—immensely powerful, arriving swiftly, but dissipating just as quickly. Despite surviving the first wave, Xiao Yu remained hidden behind Mars. The high-energy radiation burst was only the first assault; a second, even more dangerous wave was on its way. This second wave was a stream of high-energy charged particles—commonly known as solar wind. On Earth, the auroras are caused by solar wind colliding with the planet’s magnetic field. During massive solar flares, the intensity of the charged particle stream can disrupt satellite communications and even cause power grid failures. A large-scale blackout in the United States in the 20th century was caused by such a solar flare. Now, it was clear that the charged particle stream originating from Jupiter would far surpass anything produced by the Sun. Solar flares release particle streams under relatively stable conditions, but Jupiter’s current state was far from stable—its chaos was unfathomable. The speed of this high-energy particle stream was much slower than the speed of light, traveling at roughly 4 million kilometers per hour. By this calculation, it would take about five days to reach Mars’ orbit. What worried Xiao Yu most was that his survival depended entirely on electronic systems. Even though he was safely tucked behind Mars, there was no way to predict how this “Jupiter wind” might affect him. Having narrowly avoided the first crisis, Xiao Yu found his curiosity beginning to take over. After much thought, he decided to siphon off a portion of his remaining fuel to reposition his orbit and observe Jupiter directly. Emerging from Mars’ immense shadow, Xiao Yu adjusted the telescope on his spaceship to focus on Jupiter. From Mars’ orbit, Jupiter would appear as a mere point of light to the naked eye, lacking any discernible detail. However, Xiao Yu’s onboard optical telescope, enhanced with specialized optimization, coupled with the spacecraft’s position millions of kilometers closer than Earth, provided visuals rivaling those of the Hubble Space Telescope. Once again, Xiao Yu was left in awe. The side of Jupiter facing the Sun had turned a deep, blood-like red, as if the planet were bleeding. Violent cyclones raged across its surface, so ferocious that even the orbits of its moons were visibly disrupted. Jupiter’s rotational axis had shifted by three degrees as a direct result of the collision. Xiao Yu meticulously studied the scene, deploying every observation tool aboard his spaceship to gather as much data as possible. The information was invaluable—critical for advancing his future technological development. After an hour of observation, Xiao Yu noticed something astonishing: a phenomenon of nuclear fusion was occurring in the region of impact on Jupiter. His heart tightened as he immediately ceased all non-essential data collection, directing the spaceship’s full computational power toward analyzing this phenomenon. Gradually, through his observations of Jupiter, the theoretical framework for controlled nuclear fusion—previously incomplete in his mind—began to solidify. The universe, in its mysterious grandeur, had delivered a lesson through the collision of the Moon and Jupiter, offering Xiao Yu profound insights into the principles of controlled nuclear fusion. This journey began with Einstein’s famous equation, E=mc^2, which laid the foundation for humanity’s exploration of nuclear energy. One of the most dramatic applications of nuclear energy was the hydrogen bomb, a weapon powered by uncontrolled nuclear fusion. While effective for destruction, uncontrolled fusion offered no practical application as an energy source. To harness nuclear energy as a sustainable resource, humanity needed to discover a way to control the fusion process. As a leading figure in the scientific community, Xiao Yu had extensively studied this challenge. Yet even he had been unable to solve it—until now. Through the greatest teacher of all—nature—Xiao Yu now felt he might finally have the solution to the problem of controlled nuclear fusion. The biggest challenge in controlled nuclear fusion was the lack of any material capable of containing the fusion reactor. During fusion, temperatures could reach tens or even hundreds of millions of degrees, far beyond the endurance of any known material. Thus, humanity had proposed two approaches: magnetic confinement and inertial confinement. These methods aimed to stabilize fusion reactors, allowing them to safely and consistently output energy. However, both approaches remained in the theoretical stage. Xiao Yu’s primary focus was on magnetic confinement. Jupiter’s powerful magnetic field served as a natural example of this concept. The planet’s magnetic field had stabilized the fusion reactions occurring at the impact zone, effectively containing the energy output. It was the most straightforward and efficient teaching demonstration imaginable. It was akin to being handed a folded paper airplane and being asked to reverse-engineer its design—an overwhelming task. But if someone demonstrated the folding process step by step, the complexity suddenly became clear and solvable. Here, nature itself had folded the “paper airplane” of controlled nuclear fusion right before Xiao Yu’s eyes. If Xiao Yu still had eyes, they would have glowed red with intensity. If he still had a body, his breathing would have been rapid and uneven. No one could better appreciate the monumental significance of controlled nuclear fusion than Xiao Yu. Achieving controlled fusion meant interstellar travel was now within reach. It meant energy would no longer be a constraint on technological advancement. “My dream of cosmic exploration... It’s finally within grasp!” Xiao Yu felt an overwhelming urge to cry. For the next five days, Xiao Yu continued to observe Jupiter and collect as much data as possible about controlled nuclear fusion. Before the anticipated high-energy particle stream from Jupiter arrived, he retreated back behind Mars. With the wealth of data he now possessed, solving the challenge of controlled nuclear fusion was no longer a matter of “if,” but “when.” “Build a massive interstellar fleet! Leave the Solar System! Conquer the Milky Way!” Xiao Yu’s mind raced with excitement. Five hours after Xiao Yu returned to Mars’ shadow, the high-energy particle stream—dubbed the “Jupiter Wind”—finally reached Mars’ orbit. The results were predictably catastrophic. Even with Mars acting as a massive shield, the Jupiter Wind’s impact rendered half of Xiao Yu’s ship’s systems inoperable. The central computer’s computational power dropped to a mere 30% of its peak. The particle stream also had a strong stripping effect. Given Mars’ negligible magnetic field, the planet offered virtually no resistance. In an instant, the planet’s polluted atmosphere was stripped away, exposing the molten lava raging across its surface to the vacuum of space. Under the overwhelming onslaught of the Jupiter Wind, Mars transformed into an enormous comet. It trailed a vast tail of debris toward the Sun, dragging countless meteoroids along with it, completely enveloping Xiao Yu’s tiny spaceship. “Are you kidding me?! Is this some cosmic joke?” Xiao Yu cursed aloud, his frustration boiling over as he witnessed the scene. With only 30% of its computing power remaining, the central computer ran at full capacity. Engines and radar systems operated at maximum output, rapidly consuming energy reserves. The resource expenditure left Xiao Yu heartbroken, but survival was the only priority. In the pitch-black void of space, Xiao Yu piloted his damaged spaceship with precision, dodging meteoroids and navigating through the chaos. “I’ve just acquired the key to controlled nuclear fusion—the technology that could unlock a future filled with infinite possibilities. There’s no way I’m dying here!” This conviction carried Xiao Yu through three days of Jupiter Wind’s onslaught. When the storm finally subsided and Xiao Yu conducted a full diagnostic of his spaceship, a bitter smile crossed his mind. “The damage... is just too severe,” Xiao Yu sighed helplessly. With the Jupiter Wind dissipated, Mars’ tail began to fade. However, this process would take an extended period. Xiao Yu speculated that the tail’s material would eventually fall back into orbit around Mars, forming a ring system. Mars was poised to become the Solar System’s first solid planet with a ring. As for Earth’s orbit, the largest fragments of its debris remained stable and hadn’t been blown toward the Sun—a small blessing. If they had, the Sun’s convective zone could have been breached, triggering massive ejections of solar material. The resulting solar winds would have swept across the Solar System, turning it into a hellish inferno. In such a scenario, Xiao Yu couldn’t imagine how he might survive. The prelude to this catastrophe—beginning with Earth’s explosion and climaxing with the Moon’s collision with Jupiter—had come to an end. Jupiter’s immediate influence had faded, leaving behind a slow but far-reaching impact on the entire Solar System. This disaster’s greatest toll was on the inner rocky planets. Beyond Jupiter, the three gas giants—Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—remained largely unaffected. Most notably, Titan, the moon of Saturn that Xiao Yu had set his sights on, had fortunately escaped harm, as it had been positioned behind Saturn during the collision. Its environment remained unchanged. Now, Xiao Yu faced a serious problem: his spaceship’s fuel was critically low. Not only that, but the ship’s structure was in tatters. It was riddled with holes, and several modules had short-circuited. To prevent further damage, Xiao Yu had been forced to shut down power to those sections. The materials storage bay had been breached, and all spare parts and resources were lost to space. A large chunk of the hull had been torn away. Fortunately, the navigation system and gyroscope were still functional; otherwise, Xiao Yu might have been lost forever in the vast cosmos. “Am I, a proud ‘New Age human,’ doomed to be stranded in Mars’ orbit until my energy runs out and I perish?” Xiao Yu lamented. Infinite energy awaited him on Titan. With its abundant resources, Xiao Yu could acquire more fuel than he’d ever need—even enough to create planet-destroying bombs if he wanted. Xiao Yu’s mind raced as he desperately plotted a way to leave Mars’ orbit and reach Titan.