196: Chapter 196 Breakthrough in Reverse Engineering: An Introduction to Graviton Manipulation
Inside Lin Mo's private workspace cabin in Ark City, the deep thoughts regarding the balance between personal prestige and civilization decision-making had not yet fully settled when an urgent data stream from the "Guanghan Palace" deep space detection array broke into his information interface with the highest priority.
It wasn't an alarm, but... an anomaly.
The data stream showed that the "Thousand-Mile Eye Plan-7" probe, located at the edge of the Kuiper Belt and long-term monitoring the direction of the "beacon" and the area where the "Ripper" had disappeared, had captured an extremely brief but clearly characterized weak gravitational fluctuation. The fluctuation pattern was not generated by natural celestial movement; its spectral characteristics had a similarity of up to 78% with the disturbance caused when the "Ripper" previously performed a spatial jump, but the intensity was several orders of magnitude weaker. It was more like... the aftermath of an unsuccessful "jump attempt," or an extremely attenuated "echo" coming from a distant source.
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed. Almost at the same time, the "Fuxi"'s correlation analysis report popped up, linking this gravitational fluctuation event with the latest breakthrough of a top-secret reverse engineering project codenamed "shadow catcher" within the GDA.
The "shadow catcher" project, as the name suggests, aimed to "bind" and analyze the mystery behind the "Ripper's" ghostly spatial jump ability—graviton manipulation technology. The project gathered the top theoretical physicists, high-energy experimental experts, and quantum field theory scholars after the GDA merger. The main laboratory was located deep in the ultra-clean underground on the far side of the moon, maintaining a safe distance from the industrial zone of the "Guanghan Palace" base.
Lin Mo connected to the quantum communication of Professor Elon Werner, the chief scientist of the "shadow catcher" project, former head of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and current Director-General of the GDA General Administration of Basic Sciences.
Professor Werner's holographic image appeared in the cabin. This elderly German man, known for being rigorous and rigid, now had a nearly excited flush on his face, and his silver-white hair seemed even more disheveled.
"Consultant Lin! We might... no, we have indeed touched the threshold!" Professor Werner's voice carried an uncontrollable tremble. "Based on hundreds of millions of simulation deductions of all residual gravitational wave data before and after the 'Ripper's' jump, combined with the partial field-effect coupling model we reverse-engineered from 'the piercer' materials, we have successfully generated and maintained... a microscopic-scale artificial gravitational field anomaly point under laboratory conditions!"
Lin Mo was shaken: "Be specific."
"Within the high-energy physics ring of the 'shadow catcher' project, we used specially modulated extremely high-energy particle beam collisions to briefly 'pry' the metric of local space at a preset spacetime coordinate point." Professor Werner pulled up complex experimental data charts and microscopic simulation animations. "Look here, the gravitational constant G-value in this area showed a controllable offset of one-billionth lasting for 0.0001 seconds! Although the magnitude is extremely small and the duration extremely short, it is repeatable, and its offset direction and magnitude perfectly match our theoretical predictions!"
The animation showed that at the focus of the particle collision, the space "dented" slightly, like a ripple produced by throwing a pebble into calm water. However, this ripple did not spread outward but was confined to an extremely small range, and the curvature of its "dent" could be fine-tuned with the changes in the particle beam parameters.
"This means we have verified the preliminary theoretical model—through the focusing and interference of extreme energy in specific dimensions, we can 'pluck' the gravitational field at the microscopic level like plucking a guitar string, producing predictable local distortions." Professor Werner waved his arms excitedly. "Although it is still a hundred thousand miles away from the level of the 'Ripper' which distorts space to achieve jumps across astronomical units, this is like humanity lighting a weak spark for the first time, proving that 'fire' can be created and controlled!"
"What can this 'spark' do?" Lin Mo followed up, his mind racing.
"Currently... almost nothing," Professor Werner calmed down a bit and said honestly. "Its scale is too small, its energy efficiency is extremely low, and the maintenance cost is staggeringly high. But its significance lies in 'proof of concept.' We have found the 'string,' and the next step is to learn how to 'pluck' it more efficiently and with greater magnitude."
He pulled up another more forward-looking design sketch: "Based on this breakthrough, we have proposed several theoretical application directions. First, ultra-precision gravitational sensing and detection. If we can create more sensitive and controllable 'artificial gravitational field probes,' we might be able to directly 'sense' dark matter distribution and hidden spatial structures that conventional means cannot detect, or even... provide early warnings for ripples generated by spatial jumps like those of the 'Ripper'."
"Second, extreme environment simulation. Creating ultra-strong or abnormal gravitational environments within a tiny range to test the performance of new materials under extreme gravity, or even simulate physical conditions at the edge of a black hole."
"Third," Professor Werner paused, his tone becoming solemn and full of ambition, "and also the most strategically significant—the conceptual prototype of a gravity shield and space stability anchor. If we can generate a stable, controllable local gravitational field and cover the surface of a warship or key facility with it, we might be able to deflect or cancel out some attacks from kinetic weapons (which are essentially affected by gravity), or even interfere to some extent with the enemy's spatial jumps or faster-than-light communications that rely on precise gravitational environments. Conversely, it could also serve as a 'space anchor' to 'solidify' the spatial structure in a specific area, increasing the difficulty and risk for the enemy to perform spatial jumps."
Gravity shield? Space anchor? A sharp light flashed in Lin Mo's eyes. If it could really be realized, even if only as a prototype, it would be a potential weapon against the advanced spatial maneuverability that the "Purifiers" might possess!
"What support do you need?" Lin Mo asked straightforwardly.
"More high-energy physics experimental data, especially real-time monitoring data of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, to refine our field excitation model. More computing power; 'fuxi' needs to support us at full power for the next step of trillion-parameter optimization simulations. And..." Professor Werner hesitated for a moment, "we need to try to access more extreme states of matter, such as briefly creating quark-gluon plasma in the laboratory, or attempting experiments under the superposition of strong magnetic fields and ultra-low temperatures. This may require invoking some extreme experimental permissions from the 'Jinwu' fusion reactor, as well as the superconducting technology reserves provided by the Polar Bear Federation Zone."
"All approved," Lin Mo said without the slightest hesitation. "I will coordinate with the 'Jinwu' project and the Polar Bear side. The computing power priority of 'fuxi' will lean toward the 'shadow catcher' project. The data channels of the deep space detection array are completely open to you."
He paused and added: "Professor Werner, I know the laws of basic research. I don't require immediate weapons, but please be sure to advance at full speed along the path of 'proof of concept -> efficiency improvement -> controllable amplification -> application exploration.' Time is our scarcest resource."
"Understood, Your Excellency navigator!" Professor Werner stood solemnly, using the informal honorific for Lin Mo within the GDA. The holographic image disappeared, as he clearly couldn't wait to return to the laboratory.
The communication ended, and Lin Mo stood alone before the virtual window, gazing at the deep starry sky. That weak gravitational fluctuation in the Kuiper Belt, the breakthrough proof of concept of the "shadow catcher" project... in the dark, there seemed to be some kind of connection.
"The aftermath of a 'Ripper' jump? Or... some kind of test signal?" He mused, "No matter what it is, it means that patch of dark deep space is not peaceful. And we have finally pried open a crack on the path to understanding one of the most fundamental forces of the universe—gravity."
The system's interface quietly emerged. Beside the branch representing military technology, a brand-new branch glowing with a faint, deep light slowly grew out—[Graviton Technology (Introductory)]. The first node [Artificial Gravity Field Perturbation Generation and Detection (Proof of Concept)] was lit up, emitting a weak but unignorable halo.
[Ding! Detected that the host civilization has achieved a key fundamental principle breakthrough in the field of basic physics (Introduction to Graviton Manipulation). Technology tree branch unlocked. Reward points: 5000. Unlocked next step research prompt: [Macro-Gravity Field Effect Amplification and Stabilization Technology]. Note: To master gravity is to preliminarily master space.]
Five thousand points! This was a rare and generous reward from the system for a breakthrough in basic principles.
Lin Mo took a deep breath. Agricultural harvests, medical progress, energy revolution, material popularization, educational equity, environmental restoration, cultural integration, political unity... the foundation-laying of all these "civilization cornerstones" was ultimately to support the civilization in launching an assault on higher-dimensional technology—such as this "gravity gate" that had just been opened.
The "Purifiers" might possess mature graviton manipulation or even spatial jump technology. And humanity had only just felt the outline of the light switch in a dark room.
But with the outline found and the switch located, lighting the lamp was only a matter of time and technological iteration.
He bundled the latest progress of the "shadow catcher" project and the abnormal fluctuation data from "Thousand-Mile Eye Plan-7" and sent them to Elder Chen and the GDA Military Strategic Committee, along with his own preliminary analysis and suggestions: accelerate support for the "shadow catcher" project, upgrade the level of deep space gravitational fluctuation monitoring, and start planning preliminary research on defense and counterattack tactics based on future gravitational technology.
Just as he was preparing to continue processing other matters, Su Xiaowan's communication came in, her tone carrying a hint of strangeness: "Consultant Lin, the Pretty Country side... Wilkins just sent an incoherent private message full of despair and curses through an extremely secretive residual diplomatic channel, in which he repeatedly mentioned... 'gravity' and 'God's Domain.' He seems to have sensed our movements in the field of basic physics through some intelligence fragments."
Lin Mo's gaze turned slightly cold. A cornered beast still fights; the sense of smell of the desperate is sometimes even more acute.
"Ignore it," he said calmly. "Continue monitoring. Before we truly light the 'gravity lamp,' let him continue to curse in the dark."
The true contest was already no longer in the same dimension.
The introduction to graviton manipulation was like dropping a pebble into a silent deep sea.