154: Chapter 154 The World's Choice: Join or Observe
The emergency meeting at the Guanghan Palace base concluded, acting like a strategic-grade depth charge dropped into the seemingly calm lake of global politics. The shockwave traveled at the speed of quantum communication, instantly reaching the capitals, parliament buildings, and military headquarters in every corner of the Earth.
Lin Mo had no time to wait for the ripples to spread. As soon as the meeting ended, he exchanged a few brief words with Elder Chen and then took a dedicated shuttle back to the core laboratory deep within the base. Time was currently the most expensive luxury.
Inside the laboratory, he immediately connected to the exclusive quantum encrypted channel with the soaring heavens.
Long Zhantian's holographic image appeared beside the workbench, with the bridge of the soaring heavens—sleek and high-tech in its gray and white tones—as the background. The new captain's face showed little emotion, but the sharpness and focus in his eyes almost overflowed through the image.
"Consultant Lin, the latest orbital parameters for the piercer have been synchronized. Its speed is stable at around 2,100 kilometers per second with slight fluctuations, but the overall acceleration trend has slowed, matching the inertial cruise phase characteristics deduced by the system," Long Zhantian reported crisply. "The 'Nuwa' AI has combined the new data to update seven interception plans. The optimal plan's estimated contact point is on the outskirts of the asteroid belt, about 0.3 astronomical units from Mars' orbit. The estimated success rate... fluctuates between 68% and 72%."
"Not enough." Lin Mo shook his head and pulled up the tactical sketches he had outlined earlier. "Nuwa's deductions are based on known enemy data and the conventional parameters of our Thunder Department main cannons. However, the piercer likely possesses energy attack adaptive capabilities. If the first volley fails to inflict a fatal blow, the effectiveness of subsequent attacks will plummet."
He quickly explained to Long Zhantian his concept of 'field effect resonance interference,' which he had conceived in the meditation room following system prompts, along with several special modifications and tactical tests required from the soaring heavens.
Long Zhantian listened extremely intently, occasionally raising several key operational questions and risk points. Both men were efficiency-driven; in less than twenty minutes, a revised interception plan—boldly supplemented and balancing risk with opportunity—began to take shape.
"I need the Guanghan Palace industrial zone to produce and launch this batch of special interference warheads and enhanced sensor kits within 36 hours," Long Zhantian confirmed at last.
"The industrial zone has already received top-priority instructions; resources are being diverted to ensure completion," Lin Mo stated with certainty. "Additionally, I will authorize the system to open a tactical simulation sandbox interface for Nuwa, allowing them to conduct tens of thousands of adversarial calculations on their own to find tactical details our manual deductions might have overlooked."
"Understood," Long Zhantian nodded. "The entire crew of the soaring heavens has entered a state of level-one combat readiness, awaiting only the final plan and equipment to be in place."
The communication ended. Lin Mo breathed a small sigh of relief, but his nerves remained taut. Progress was being made rapidly on the technical and front-line command levels, but another front—the integration and choices of global politics—was only just entering a fever pitch.
As if to confirm his thoughts, the laboratory door was pushed open gently, and Su Xiaowan walked in. She held an encrypted tablet, her face showing fatigue from high-intensity work, but her eyes remained bright and clear.
"Consultant Lin, the preliminary feedback from GDC headquarters and member states is being summarized," she spoke quickly. "The situation is... more complex than expected, but there has also been some unexpected progress."
"Speak," Lin Mo gestured for her to sit, pulling over a chair for himself.
"First, the positive news." Su Xiaowan pulled up the data. "Polar Bear Country has the most resolute attitude. Their Duma has held an emergency meeting and passed a resolution with a rare high majority to fully participate in the north heavenly gate project and grant the soaring heavens all necessary conveniences for its operations. 40% of the computing power of their 'snowstorm' supercomputer array has been directed into our system network for war simulations and signal decryption. The first batch of promised rare metals and heavy-lift rocket components has already been scheduled for the launch window."
"As expected." Lin Mo nodded. Polar Bear Country had deep roots in traditional aerospace and military fields, and geopolitically, they needed a strong Eastern ally to balance the pressure. This crisis was the best opportunity to deepen their bond.
"Obvious divisions have appeared within the European Union," Su Xiaowan continued. "Old powers represented by Germany and France still have doubts about technical sharing terms and the distribution of command authority; their cabinet meetings are filled with heated arguments. However, Eastern European countries represented by Poland and Czechia, as well as several Southern European countries plagued by economic issues, have a positive attitude and are inclined to join as soon as possible to obtain technology transfers and security commitments. The European Council may need more time for bickering, but they have already agreed to provide some deep-space monitoring data and limited technical expert support as 'observer states' before a final resolution is reached."
"Fence-sitters, but at least they haven't completely sided with the other camp," Lin Mo commented. "Give them some pressure. Send them the countdown for the piercer and the letter of intent for the industrial sub-contracting shares of the first phase of the North Heaven Gate, and let them weigh the cost of delay for themselves."
"Yes." Su Xiaowan recorded the instruction. "The most troublesome is Pretty Country." She pulled up an intelligence summary. "After Wilkins returned home, it seems they failed to unify their narrative. The signals released by the White House are chaotic. The President made a strongly-worded speech on social media, claiming they 'will not sign any treaty under threat,' but simultaneously stated they are 'willing to cooperate with all responsible nations to deal with space threats.' The military, especially the hawks in the Space Force Command, have shown great interest in the north heavenly gate project, even contacting us privately through informal channels to ask about cooperation possibilities. However, there is massive resistance on Capitol Hill, especially from those congressmen deeply tied to the traditional military-industrial complex, who blast it as a 'space military hegemony trap led by the Dragon Country.'"
Lin Mo sneered. "They want safety, yet they can't let go of their old dreams of hegemony, nor can they drop their ideological prejudices. Let them be. Notify our people to keep records of any informal contact with the Pretty Country military but not to be overly enthusiastic. We don't need to interfere in their internal fractures, nor can we. 'Accidentally' leak our technology sharing list—especially those items that could have a disruptive impact on traditional aerospace and defense industries—to their commercial space companies and certain academic circles."
Su Xiaowan immediately caught his drift. "Creating internal pressure and division? Understood."
"What about the other small and medium-sized nations?"
"The response has been very enthusiastic!" Su Xiaowan's tone carried a rare hint of excitement. "Especially many countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as some Southeast Asian nations. They lack independent space defense capabilities but possess resources, markets, or strategic geographical locations. The technology sharing and joint defense framework of the north heavenly gate project is immensely attractive to them. In the past twelve hours, over thirty countries have expressed strong preliminary intentions to participate through diplomatic or GDC channels. Fifteen of them have already submitted drafts of their preliminary contribution lists, ranging from funding and raw materials to providing overseas monitoring sites."
"Very good." A light flashed in Lin Mo's eyes. "Organize the intentions of these countries and announce them at the appropriate time. Let those major powers that are still hesitating see where the tide of the world is flowing. Isolating oneself won't make one safer; it will only lead to being abandoned by the era."
He walked to the laboratory's observation window. Outside was the busy industrial zone of the Guanghan Palace base, where giant mechanical arms danced silently in the vacuum, assembling massive components. Against the backdrop of deeper space, the stars twinkled indifferently.
"The world's choices are never made in a quiet study," Lin Mo said slowly, his back to Su Xiaowan. "They are made on the eve of the storm, at the junction of fear and opportunity. Some choose to board the Ark, even if they temporarily lose some privileges on the deck; others cling tightly to their own sinking rowboats, cursing the giant ship for stealing the spotlight."
He turned around, his gaze burning. "What we must do is make the North Heaven Gate, this giant vessel, sturdy enough, powerful enough, and attractive enough. Let everyone see clearly that boarding it is the only hope for survival. As for those who insist on spectating, or even trying to trip us up in the dark..."
His tone calmed down, yet it carried a cold, metallic quality. "History will provide the evaluation, and reality will provide the lesson. For now, concentrate all resources to ensure the soaring heavens wins this battle. If we win this, the doors of the North Heaven Gate will be impossible for anyone to close; if we lose, all arguments and choices will lose their meaning."
Su Xiaowan nodded heavily, noting down this core principle.
Just then, the tablet in her hand emitted a sharp notification sound again. She looked down, and her expression changed slightly.
"Consultant Lin, urgent telegram from GDC headquarters! the piercer... has just performed an unconventional slight orbital correction! It wasn't to adjust direction, but... to slightly accelerate again! The joint calculations of the system and Nuwa show that its arrival at the preset interception zone outside Mars' orbit could be up to nine hours earlier than the worst-case estimate!"
Nine hours! This meant the time left for the soaring heavens to prepare for battle and receive the modified equipment was further compressed, and it also meant the piercer might possess more flexible maneuverability than estimated!
Lin Mo's pupils constricted, but there was no panic on his face. He had long expected that this battle would not be easy.
"Notify Captain Long Zhantian to update the countdown. Notify the Guanghan Palace industrial zone to activate the emergency production plan and compress the construction period by another ten hours. Notify all countries that have expressed intent to join the north heavenly gate project that the enemy's blade is closer than expected, and their choice needs to be faster."
His voice echoed in the laboratory, as calm as if he were stating an established fact.
"The world's moment of choice has been moved forward."
Su Xiaowan obeyed solemnly and hurried away. Only Lin Mo remained in the laboratory, along with the red dot on the screen representing destruction and trial, constantly drawing closer.
He gently touched the cold glass of the observation window, as if he could feel the chill radiating from that cold creation six billion kilometers away.
"Come then," he whispered, "let everyone see what kind of choice humanity will make when faced with true destruction. Whether they will unite under a banner or sink within their own isolated islands."
In deep space, the piercer sped on silently, like a lethal bullet aimed at the heart of civilization.