Chapter 60: Moving Tianyuan A

Words : 1485 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

A large particle collider is an essential tool for exploring the microscopic world. Within the collider, Xiao Yu planned to accelerate a pair of protons to near-light speed before colliding them. At the moment of impact, the energy level at the collision point would reach that of one femtosecond after the Big Bang. In this instant, the protons would shatter, revealing the micro-particles that constitute them, including both observed and yet-to-be-discovered ones. Through this, Xiao Yu intended to verify the existence of the Higgs boson. While laboratories on Earth had claimed to have discovered the Higgs boson, the results remained unverified. If the Higgs boson were truly observed, Xiao Yu’s foundational physics theories would advance to a new level. Countless new theorems and formulas would be derived, laying the foundation for thousands or even tens of thousands of years of scientific development. Just as relativity and quantum mechanics had supported humanity’s technological advancement for millennia, these new theories would propel future progress. Furthermore, confirming the Higgs boson would validate the Standard Model, providing a near-perfect explanation for how mass arises through the Higgs mechanism. Since mass is intrinsically linked to energy, Xiao Yu could theoretically devise a method to harness infinite energy. Amid the bustling construction, time slipped away. Five years later, 30% of the space turrets were complete, construction of the large particle collider around Tianyuan IV had not yet begun, and the interstellar fortresses on Tianyuan B and Tianyuan C were still in planning. However, 99% of the planetary engines were finished, with the final engine scheduled for completion in just one month. The immense power of the planetary engines meant they required vast amounts of fuel. To meet this demand, Xiao Yu expanded the transportation fleet to include 100 City-Class ships and 20,000 Village-Class and Town-Class ships. This fleet was enormous; had they possessed the combat capabilities Xiao Yu’s ships had when leaving the solar system, they could have crushed the Lizardmen Civilization outright. Unfortunately, these ships were equipped only with basic propulsion systems, leaving them weak in maneuverability, attack, and defense—essentially oversized cargo trucks. City-Class ships, in particular, were more fragile than their smaller counterparts. Given Xiao Yu’s current material and propulsion technology, constructing such massive ships was less than ideal. However, as transport vessels, they sufficed for the task. At the boundary of day and night on Tianyuan A, a nimble robot tightened the final screw and completed the last welding procedure, marking the conclusion of the construction of 10,000 planetary engines. These colossal engines were strategically distributed across Tianyuan A’s surface. Some were located along the equator, others at the day-night boundary, and still others on both the sunlit and dark sides. Each engine’s function varied depending on its position. “Finally, it’s done,” Xiao Yu thought, his emotions running high. In the past, such a monumental engineering feat was beyond humanity’s imagination. Yet now, Xiao Yu had achieved it single-handedly. “A-zone and B-zone planetary engines activate according to preset power levels. C-zone and D-zone, standby for now,” Xiao Yu commanded. Xiao Yu had programmed the 5,800 planetary engines in A-zone and B-zone to operate at varying power levels. These power settings were determined by complex calculations based on local crust stability, location, and the specific tasks at each stage. The precision of these calculations left no room for error. For instance, Engine 576 in A-zone was set to operate at full power, while Engine 93 was limited to just 7.3% power. The coordinated operation of over 5,000 planetary engines was crucial to achieving Xiao Yu’s objectives. A-zone, located at the day-night boundary of Tianyuan A, was the primary region for deceleration, powered by 4,600 planetary engines. Opposite A-zone, D-zone housed 4,000 engines, designated as the main acceleration region. B-zone and C-zone played supporting roles in the operation. At the moment thousands of engines roared to life, Xiao Yu felt a profound tremor deep in his soul. It was an indescribable sensation. He could sense that, under the full-power operation of 4,600 engines in A-zone, Tianyuan A’s crust was being subjected to immense compressive forces. The once-solid crust began to deform under the strain, causing the entire planet to tremble slightly. Xiao Yu observed as the land in A-zone began to crack. Dormant geological activity on Tianyuan A reawakened. In some places, sudden upheavals formed towering mountain ranges hundreds of meters tall, while in others, molten lava began to seep slowly through fissures in the crust. Xiao Yu understood that these phenomena were caused by the immense inertial forces acting on the planet, compressing certain regions. Fortunately, before building the planetary engines, mining bases, and foundries, Xiao Yu had conducted thorough terrain surveys. He had specifically chosen the sturdiest and thickest areas of the crust for construction. The regions where mountains and lava appeared were weak crustal zones, which posed no significant threat to his facilities. From space, thousands of blue beams, each stretching hundreds of kilometers, erupted from the day-night boundary and the perpetually dark B-zone of Tianyuan A. These beams twisted and danced across the cosmos like a group of arrogant, colossal dragons. The regions covered by the engines’ exhaust had long been cleared of all aerial equipment. Any spacecraft caught in the plume would have been blown away instantly. A total of 5,800 planetary engines operated for a full 60 seconds. Xiao Yu had no intention of accelerating the process further. Sixty seconds was already the limit; exceeding this duration would not only damage the engines but also risk catastrophic failure of Tianyuan A’s crust. Pushing further could potentially destroy the planet’s surface entirely. Under the coordinated operation of engines with varying power levels across different zones, Xiao Yu measured Tianyuan A’s orbital speed around Tianyuan IV. From an initial aphelion velocity of 59,643.723 meters per second, it had been reduced to 59,643.722 meters per second—a deceleration of one millimeter per second. Consequently, the orbit had shifted closer to Tianyuan IV by 57 meters. This was a staggering achievement, marking Xiao Yu’s entry into the realm of planetary engineering. “Alright, phase one propulsion test is complete,” Xiao Yu announced joyfully, shifting his focus to analyzing the vast trove of data collected during the test. These experimental results were invaluable. The most immediate insight pertained to the potential maximum speed of his spacecraft. By analyzing the performance of the massive planetary engines, Xiao Yu could develop more efficient propulsion systems, pushing his current top speed of 900 kilometers per second to even greater heights. Three days later, after processing the data, Xiao Yu enthusiastically initiated the second propulsion test. This time, the engines operated at varying power levels for 67 seconds. During this trial, the aphelion velocity of Tianyuan A decreased by an additional five millimeters per second, while its orbit moved 267 meters closer to Tianyuan IV. According to calculations, Tianyuan IV exerted a gravitational acceleration of 213 meters per second squared on Tianyuan A. In other words, if Tianyuan A had no orbital velocity, it would fall toward Tianyuan IV at an accelerating rate: 213 meters per second in the first second, 426 meters per second in the second second, and 639 meters per second in the third second. This acceleration would continue until relativistic limits were reached, ultimately leading to a catastrophic collision with Tianyuan IV. Xiao Yu’s task was to harness this gravitational acceleration while making precise adjustments to achieve his goal. Over the next seven years, under Xiao Yu’s meticulous control, thousands of planetary engines operated intermittently, reducing Tianyuan A’s orbital distance by 8 million kilometers. The planet’s average distance from Tianyuan IV was now just 22 million kilometers, and it continued to inch closer. At this stage, Xiao Yu’s objective shifted. Instead of decelerating Tianyuan A, he now needed to accelerate it to prevent further descent toward Tianyuan IV. This was where the 4,200 engines in C-zone and D-zone came into play. Under Xiao Yu’s unified command, Tianyuan A began to accelerate gradually, slowing its descent toward Tianyuan IV. Eventually, Tianyuan A would stabilize in an orbit 20 million kilometers from Tianyuan IV, with an orbital velocity of approximately 70 kilometers per second. The deceleration process lasted an additional four years. After a total of 11 years—slightly longer than Xiao Yu’s original estimate, due to incomplete data in the early stages—he completed the monumental project of moving Tianyuan A. “These planetary engines can stay here as a monument. Who knows, they might come in handy in the future,” Xiao Yu thought as he commanded millions of robots to carefully preserve the engines’ instruments and components. With the abundant resources in the Tianyuan IV system, there was no need to recycle these devices. “Now, it’s time to begin the next phase of construction... the large particle collider around Tianyuan IV! Construction officially begins!”

Chapter 60: Moving Tianyuan A

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