Chapter 18 Arc Reactor

"We can build it!"

Academician Wang's words struck like a thunderclap in the silent laboratory.

All the scientists, who had just been immersed in the sense of loss brought about by the huge technological gap, were instantly pulled back to reality, their faces revealing incredible ecstasy!

Yes!

Although they couldn't understand those high-dimensional technologies that were like gods fighting, this "primary energy core" before them—this "button battery" in the eyes of the Oracle Civilization—was an energy revolution that could subvert everything for Earth's civilization!

The energy density is one million times that of a lithium battery!

This means that a "core" the size of a mobile phone battery would be enough to power an electric car to circle the Earth dozens of times!

A "core" the size of a basketball could meet the electricity needs of a city of one million people for an entire year!

Moreover, its raw materials turned out to be just the cheapest sand, water, and iron ore!

This means that energy will no longer be a scarce resource, but like air and water, inexhaustible and infinite!

"Quick! Establish the 'ark' project team immediately!" Chen Weiguo made a decisive decision; he understood the strategic significance of this technology better than anyone. "Bring me all of our country's top material scientists, physicists, and engineers! Spare no cost, three months! I only give you three months; you must build the first sample for me!"

"Yes!"

The entire "scavenger" base once again entered a state of frantic operation.

Countless experts and scholars were urgently summoned from all over the country and threw themselves into this unprecedented technological battle.

And Lin Yuan, as the "instigator" of all this, once again became the most idle person.

He was forced by Chen Weiguo to continue recuperating, with his daily task being to eat and drink well, while familiarizing himself with the various facilities in the base, accompanied by Li Na.

One day, he was taking a walk in the base's ecological park.

This ecological park completely simulated the natural environment of the surface, with sunlight, grass, streams, and even a few docile sika deer grazing leisurely.

"I can't believe that there is such a place thousands of meters beneath our feet," Lin Yuan exclaimed.

"This is for the mental health of the long-term stationed personnel," Li Na explained, following by his side. "Being in a closed underground environment for a long time can easily induce various mental illnesses."

"Then... how long do you plan on having me stay here?" Lin Yuan asked casually.

Li Na was silent for a moment, then looked at him earnestly: "Lin Yuan, you need to be mentally prepared. It might... be forever."

Lin Yuan's heart sank.

Although he had a premonition, hearing this answer with his own ears still made him feel a sense of loss.

"Forever..." He gave a wry smile, "In other words, I can only stay in this 'gilded cage' for the rest of my life?"

"It's not a cage, it's an 'ark'," Li Na corrected. "Director Chen said that you are the spark of our civilization, and this place is the ark that protects that spark. Before our civilization possesses enough power to cope with unknown threats from the universe, you must be absolutely safe."

Lin Yuan was silent.

He knew Li Na was right.

An innocent man is innocent, but it is his treasure that gets him into trouble. The system in his brain was that "treasure." Before the country had the ability to protect this "treasure," hiding him away was the only choice.

"I understand." He nodded, no longer dwelling on this issue.

He looked not far away, where Academician Wang was leading a group of experts, fiercely discussing something in an open space, with various complex models and drawings laid out on the ground.

"What are they doing?"

"Conducting the preliminary design of the 'ark reactor'," Li Na replied. "'ark' is the new name we gave that 'primary energy core.' Its principle is different from all our existing energy technologies. It is not chemical energy, nor is it nuclear energy, but a kind of... 'space energy'."

"Space energy?"

"Yes. According to the theory of the 'Oracle Civilization,' the space we are in itself contains massive amounts of energy. That 'ark reactor' is like a miniature 'pump' that, through a special resonant frequency, 'pumps' out the energy that is everywhere in space and stores it in a specially made crystal structure."

Li Na's explanation left Lin Yuan confused.

"I don't understand." He shook his head candidly. "Just tell me how awesome this thing will be once it's built."

Li Na smiled and pointed to a huge building under construction in the distance.

"See that?"

"I see it. What is being built there? It looks like a big tank."

"That is the first experimental platform for the 'South Heaven Gate Project' that we are building." Li Na's eyes sparkled. "We plan to build a comprehensive space combat platform on low Earth orbit that integrates early warning, defense, and attack."

"Before obtaining the technology for the 'ark reactor,' this plan was expected to take at least fifty years to complete. Because we couldn't solve the energy supply problem in space. Whether it is solar energy or nuclear reactors, neither can support the high-intensity combat needs of such a massive platform."

"But now..." Li Na's tone became excited. "With the 'ark reactor,' we can deploy high-energy laser cannons, electromagnetic railguns, and even... space-based kinetic weapons on the platform!"

"A basketball-sized 'ark reactor' is enough to accelerate a tungsten metal rod to near-light speed in a few seconds and bombard ground targets directly from outer space. The energy it releases is no less than a ten-megaton nuclear bomb, and, there is no radiation pollution."

Lin Yuan was dumbfounded.

Throwing an iron rod down from space has the power comparable to a nuclear bomb?

What kind of god-tier technology is this!

"The completion time of the 'South Heaven Gate Project,' because of the appearance of the 'ark reactor,' will be shortened from fifty years directly to... five years!" Li Na looked at Lin Yuan and said word by word, "And all of this is because of you, Lin Yuan."

Lin Yuan's heart was filled with a huge sense of pride and accomplishment.

So, without realizing it, he had already done such an awesome thing.

...

Time passed quickly.

Three months later.

In the highest-level protective workshop of the "miracle" No. 1 laboratory, the first "ark reactor" sample manufactured by human hands on Earth finally completed its final assembly.

It was only the size of a fist, with a smooth, silver-white shell, and at its core, an artificial blue crystal was emitting a dreamlike light.

Chen Weiguo, Academician Wang, and all the core members of the project stood in the observation room, holding their breath, waiting for the final test results.

"Reactor structure stable!"

"Energy resonant frequency locked!"

"Start injecting initial energy, activate the reactor!"

Following Academician Wang's order, a weak electric current was injected into the core of the reactor.

The next second, that blue crystal suddenly burst out with light even more dazzling than the sun!

"Hum—"

An invisible, majestic energy fluctuation instantly filled the entire workshop.

All the instruments at this moment emitted piercing overload alarms!

"Energy output power... is off the charts! Our instruments cannot measure its upper limit!" A researcher responsible for monitoring said, his voice trembling.

"Success! We succeeded!"

Academician Wang looked at the energy curve on the screen that shot straight through the sky, unable to control his emotions anymore, crying and laughing like a child.

They did it!

They really used their own hands to replicate this miracle from the sea of stars!

Chen Weiguo clenched his fists tightly and immediately picked up the red encrypted phone beside him.

"Connect to the highest Command Center."

"Report to the Chief, 'ark'... ignition successful!"

On the other end of the phone, there was silence for a full half minute.

Then, a majestic yet excited voice came through.

"On behalf of the country, on behalf of the people, I thank you! From today on, the 'South Heaven Gate Project' is fully launched! Our Chinese nation's journey toward the stars and the sea has officially begun!"