188: Chapter 188 Energy Terminal: Palm Fusion Battery
High above the three-dimensional traffic test field in the Shujun New District, the silver trails left by the "floating vehicles" had not yet fully dissipated. Thousands of miles away, deep in the northwestern Gobi Desert, another more fundamental and profound energy revolution had reached the moment of fruition.
The fourth-generation fusion technology verification base, code-named "Torch Dragon," was hidden three hundred meters underground. Unlike the massive Tokamak devices of the early "Golden Crow" project, the most eye-catching equipment in the core laboratory here was not even as large as a standard shipping container.
It was called the "fusion crystal cell."
Constructed entirely of dark silver "keystone-1 type" composite material, its surface was smooth, with no visible pipelines or interfaces, save for a fist-sized transparent observation window in the center. At this moment, within the window, a stable, golden halo—like a miniature star—burned quietly. There was no deafening roar, no searing heat wave, only the steadily ticking numbers on the instrument panel telling of the miracle occurring within, a miracle capable of overturning the old energy landscape.
"Output power is stable at 15 megawatts. Running time... it has been running continuously for 1,440 hours, exactly two months." Chief Engineer Fang Qiming's voice was slightly raspy, but the light in his eyes was more intense than the fusion fire in the observation window. "The core confinement field strength fluctuation is less than one hundred-thousandth, and the fuel injection and ash removal systems are operating perfectly. Most importantly... its current size-to-output power ratio has reached 92% of the theoretical optimum!"
Lin Mo, Old Chen, and several core members of the GDA Energy Committee stood before the observation window, quietly watching that stable golden halo. It didn't represent the majestic power of humanity first taming the stars like the "Golden Crow"; instead, it possessed a delicate, restrained, and artistic shock—the power to destroy heaven and earth, confined within such a small space and running stably for two months, was in itself an engineering miracle.
"The final barriers to miniaturization, modularization, and safety have been crossed by us." Fang Qiming pulled up a holographic design diagram, and a flat hexagonal unit about the size of an adult man's palm and two centimeters thick appeared before everyone. "Based on 'fusion crystal cell' technology, we have designed the 'Torch Dragon-M1' standard energy unit, commonly known as... the 'palm fusion battery'."
He enlarged the structural diagram: "It integrates a miniaturized inertial confinement field generator and fuel capsules (a safely encapsulated deuterium-tritium mixture) inside, using a derivative of the 'keystone-1 type' material as the confinement chamber wall and radiation shielding layer. A single fuel fill (about 5 grams) can run continuously for... over ten years under standard civilian power output (equivalent to a household's peak electricity load)."
"Ten years?!" an energy expert exclaimed. "This... this energy density..."
"Yes, the energy density is millions of times that of chemical batteries, even exceeding the practical upper limit of the most ideal matter-antimatter annihilation theory (considering fuel acquisition and safety)," Fang Qiming nodded. "Its startup and shutdown are controlled by an internal quantum chip, making it absolutely safe. Even if it suffers a violent physical impact that damages the casing, the confinement field will fail instantly, the fusion reaction will stop immediately, and the trace amounts of radioactive fuel leaked will be captured by the built-in absorbent material, preventing pollution. We have passed over a thousand extreme safety tests, including high temperature, low temperature, impact, puncture, immersion, and even simulated electromagnetic pulse attacks."
Old Chen's fingers lightly touched the holographic image, as if he could feel the surging energy within: "What about the cost? Mass production feasibility?"
"Costs are falling rapidly." Fang Qiming pulled up a production line simulation. "The core confinement field generator utilizes the precision field manipulation technology we developed in the 'anti-gravity platform' project. The materials are mature 'keystone-1 type' derivatives, and the fuel extraction and encapsulation processes have matured along with the large-scale operation of the 'Golden Crow' power stations. The first fully automated production line planned by the GDA is expected to have a monthly capacity of one million units. As scale increases, the cost of a single 'palm battery' is eventually expected to drop to a level comparable to a high-end smartphone."
"Application scenarios?" Lin Mo asked; he already saw countless possibilities.
"Everywhere," Fang Qiming's tone was full of passion. "First, it will replace all existing chemical batteries and traditional charging methods. From personal terminals and household appliances to auxiliary power for 'floating vehicles', field equipment, and medical devices... completely say goodbye to the troubles of charging and replacing batteries."
"Secondly, as an independent energy center for homes and communities. A standard household, by installing one or two 'palm batteries' combined with high-efficiency wireless energy transmission modules, can completely disconnect from the power grid and achieve energy self-sufficiency, even feeding surplus energy back into the community microgrid."
"Thirdly, and most revolutionary—it opens the door for all applications requiring long-lasting, high-density energy. For example, long-endurance drones, deep-sea probes, polar research stations, and even... the energy cores for individual exoskeletons and light weapon platforms. It will completely change our cognitive limits regarding 'mobile energy'."
As he described it, a future picture of extremely abundant and easily accessible energy slowly unfolded before everyone. Energy, the lifeblood of modern civilization, would be liberated from centralized, fragile, and expensive pipelines and lines, becoming a reliable and long-lasting "spark" that everyone could hold in their palm.
The pilot promotion unfolded at an incredible speed. The first batch of "Torch Dragon-M1" batteries was integrated into newly produced "floating vehicles," new household appliances, and the wireless power supply networks of some communities.
Wang Lei, an engineer in the Shujun New District, found that his range anxiety for his "floating vehicle" had completely vanished—a single "palm battery" built into the vehicle was enough to support several months of continuous use, and the community energy station could replenish fusion fuel for him at any time (similar to refueling, but with extremely low frequency). His household appliances no longer needed plugs, all powered through the wireless energy network in the room; his electricity bill became an almost negligible "fuel maintenance fee."
In a more remote area, a village deep in the mountains that had just connected to the GDA network had been unable to receive stable power due to complex terrain. Now, a community energy box loaded with several "palm batteries" was delivered. Combined with solar panels (as an auxiliary), it immediately provided the entire village with stable and sufficient electricity. Children read books under bright electric lights for the first time, the elderly used safe electric heaters, and the village's communication and medical equipment were able to operate around the clock. The village chief excitedly said to the camera, "This light is warmer than the stars in the sky!"
The "system" social model again captured strong positive feedback. In areas where energy was universally accessible, indicators for "sense of life security" and "sense of belonging to the GDA" showed explosive growth. The freedom and abundance of energy, like sunlight and rain, nourished every inch of the civilization cornerstone's soil.
Beneath the light, shadows were also extending.
On the intelligence briefing before Wilkins, the performance parameters, pilot effects, and preliminary capacity assessments of the "palm fusion battery" were like red-hot irons, making his eyes sting with pain.
"Infinite energy... an energy core that everyone can master..." he muttered to himself, his voice filled with bitterness and a hint of madness. He knew well what this meant. It meant that the people of the GDA would live in a world where energy was almost free, unconstrained by any geopolitics or resource oligarchs. It meant that the social stability and war potential of the GDA would be exponentially strengthened. More importantly, it meant that his "Plan B" options, which sought to create chaos by destroying energy facilities, were rapidly shrinking in value and feasibility—when every home and every vehicle was an independent micro-energy station, what was the point of destroying a few large power plants?
But at the same time, a more dangerous and tempting thought coiled around his heart like a poisonous vine.
"What if... if there were an 'accident' with the technology of this battery, or its production line?" He looked up at the intelligence chief standing silently in the shadows. "Especially, if this 'accident' could be guided toward the direction that 'the technology itself has fatal flaws'? For example... that the 'fusion battery' could turn into a 'fusion bomb' under certain circumstances?"
The intelligence chief's body shook slightly, and he whispered, "Sir, our experts analyze that with the technical maturity currently displayed by the GDA, such a possibility is minuscule; their safety design is very redundant. Moreover, such a framing operation is extremely complex, and if it's exposed..."
"If it's exposed, we will be the enemies of all mankind, with no place to be buried," Wilkins coldly finished the sentence. "I know. But if we do nothing, the end will also be a slow death by suffocation. The difference is whether to rot silently or... take a gamble and find a glimmer of a chance to turn the situation around in the flames."
He walked to the window, looking at the gloomy sky outside and the smoke from the protesters faintly visible in the distance.
"Continue to collect all public and potentially accessible non-public data on the 'palm battery', especially the analysis of its fuel encapsulation, confinement field stability mechanism, and weaknesses in the safety system. At the same time, activate our deepest 'nail' in the GDA energy supply chain. Do not act rashly; wait for my further instructions."
"Yes, sir."
Wilkins's gaze fell back onto the schematic of the "palm battery" in the briefing. That exquisite, efficient design, symbolizing infinite energy and freedom, now looked like a Pandora's box containing destructive power in his eyes.
He not only wanted to stop this box from being fully opened within the GDA but also wanted to... personally turn its direction, letting that destructive power backfire on its creator.