156: Public Projects

Just as Lei Wen's fingers were about to touch the doorknob, preparing to leave the laboratory, a crisp, puzzled voice came from behind him.

"Wait, Director Raven!"

Turning around, he saw the unique sharpness and earnestness of a scientist flickering in Ilya's red eyes.

"I was too excited just now and overlooked a critical logical loophole." She furrowed her brows. "Although you have the formula for that superalloy, and I believe this carbon-silicon-bio-polymer composite structure can withstand the pressure of a warp bubble... but what about the raw materials?"

She stood up, her slipper-clad feet stepping onto the carpet, walking toward Lei Wen step by step, her tone pressing.

"Your data shows that the core component of that alloy is an extract from a purple plant that only grows under the specific spectrum of a red dwarf star, and this plant only exists in the New Sun System, 5.4 light-years away."

Ilya held up five slender fingers. "5.4 light-years! At the current fastest ship speeds, including the time for a round trip plus collection and refining, even if we only transport back a few tons of samples, it would take at least eighty or ninety years! What do you want me to use to build the prototype? Air?"

She stared into Lei Wen's eyes, as if trying to see through this man's lie.

"You say it can be here within this month? Are you making fun of me? Or are you telling me you can do magic?"

Lei Wen looked at the puffing genius girl before him. His face betrayed no embarrassment at being exposed; instead, he revealed a meaningful, even slightly mysterious smile.

"Dr. Ilya, do you believe in magic?"

"I am a physicist, I only believe in data and logic." Ilya said impatiently. "Unless you can fold space, how could it be possible to bring things back from that far away?"

"Perhaps..." Lei Wen lowered his head slightly, leaning in closer, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Perhaps in this universe, there really is someone folding space for us?"

After saying this, he didn't offer any further explanation, just straightened his collar, turned, and pushed the door open to leave, leaving behind only a dashing silhouette and that airy promise.

"Within this month, the goods will be delivered to the door of your new laboratory. As for the channel, that is a commercial secret of the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau."

"Mysterious guy..."

Ilya looked at the closed door and muttered unhappily.

She sat back down on the sofa, hugging her penguin doll, and began to think seriously.

"Except for wormhole technology, which is not even theoretically mature yet, there is no means to complete the transport within this time frame, unless..."

In her mind, she suddenly recalled that super capital ship that had once flashed by in lunar orbit, making even the fleet humanity was proud of seem insignificant, as well as that Faleim technology that still seemed like a miracle even now.

"Tch, I knew it."

Ilya relaxed the furrow in her brow in relief.

"It's that group of aliens again... The Interstellar Affairs General Bureau really is the Earth office for that super civilization, isn't it?"

For ordinary people, this might be a terrifying conjecture, but for a science fanatic like Ilya, as long as she could get the materials, she didn't care who sent them, even if it were a demon courier.

"Since there's a powerful backer to rely on, I won't be polite."

She picked up the communicator on the table, her eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.

"Notify the team, pack up! We are moving!"

...

Lei Wen was not lying.

In fact, just ten minutes after he left the Earth Science Research Center, the omnipresent Grey Wind had already received Lei Wen's instructions.

For Grey Wind, who possessed jump capabilities and was a nanite swarm consciousness, having the sub-entities located in the New Sun System form a transport ship and bring the cargo to Earth via warp jump was merely a matter of an instant.

One month later.

The far side of the moon, Lagrange L2 point.

Originally, there was only the solitary [Skyfire] antimatter space station here; it was the most dangerous yet most precious energy heart of humanity.

But now, next to this heart, a brand new space station was taking shape at an astonishing speed through modular assembly.

This was the Human Federation's newest key project—the [Horizon] Faster-Than-Light Physics Research Institute.

Several heavy transport ships painted in dark gray docked silently at the newly built berths. The moment the cargo bay doors opened, the engineering robots that had been waiting there swarmed up.

Sealed containers marked "Extremely Precious" and "Special Biological Samples" were carefully transported out.

Through the semi-transparent special glass, one could see that they were filled with those metal ingots emitting a strange purple luster, as well as raw plant samples preserved in cryogenic storage.

That was the superalloy named Kul Alloy by Lei Wen, the cornerstone of humanity's path to faster-than-light travel.

When Ilya, wearing her iconic lab coat (this time she finally changed into a well-fitted one, but she still looked like a minor), led her [FTL] project team composed of the world's top physicists into the space station, her eyes were frighteningly bright.

"Is this where we will be working?"

She looked around.

This research institute's design was created entirely for the development of the Warp Engine: huge circular acceleration tracks, gravitational wave generators capable of simulating spacetime distortion, and a photon quantum supercomputer cluster with computing power equivalent to 40% of the [Apocalypse] mainframe.

More importantly, outside the window was the vast, boundless universe, with no atmospheric interference, and the influence of gravity was minimal.

"Too perfect..."

Ilya took a deep breath. Although the air in the space station was recycled, she felt as if she could smell the scent of truth.

"Everyone listen up!"

She turned around, her petite figure standing on the command console, yet her aura was enough to overwhelm all the Nobel laureates present.

"The materials are here, the equipment is ready, and the computing power is maxed out."

"From today on, forget about rest, forget about holidays, and even forget about your families back on Earth."

"We are here to accomplish a great feat that all human scientists have been unable to complete in their lifetimes. Einstein, Bohr... we are standing on the shoulders of these giants, and we will leave light behind us!"

"Get to work!"

With her order, this laboratory suspended in deep space quickly became a high-speed, precision instrument.

Ilya's work efficiency was the point Lei Wen was most satisfied with.

For other scientists, research might be a job, a responsibility, or even a means of making a living. But for Ilya, solving the mysteries of the universe was like an ordinary person beating a game—it was a pure joy.

She was the type of person who could stay awake for three days straight to derive a formula, or forget to eat to verify a hypothesis. She treated scientific research as a pleasure; such an interest-driven super scientist was a treasure that a civilization could only hope for but rarely find.

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

Earth Gregorian Calendar year 2112.

A paper titled "Improved Klein Metric Model and Controllable Spacetime Interference Theory" was published directly on the cover of the Human Federation's highest-level academic journal, "Future Science," without any prior fanfare.

It was signed by only one person: Ilya von Klein.

This paper was not a dry pile of data, but a declaration of the arrival of a new era.

It detailed how, on a macroscopic scale, to use specific energy frequencies and the resonance generated by the new biological composite alloy to create a stable, controllable "warp bubble" around a ship. Inside this bubble, the ship is stationary relative to space, but space itself moves at a speed exceeding the speed of light.

This is like a surfer standing on a surfboard; although they are not moving, the waves carry them forward at high speed.

This is the theoretical cornerstone of Warp Drive.

Although warp theory had been a household name since the 20th century, no scientist had been able to provide the detailed parameters and engineering steps that were truly feasible.

Once this paper was published, it instantly ignited public opinion in the global academic community and even the entire society.

Although Ilya was already a renowned "genius monster" within academic circles, for most ordinary people, the name was still unfamiliar.

Until major media outlets began frantically digging into the background of this genius scientist.

When that photo of Ilya, looking only fifteen or sixteen with silver hair and red eyes, appeared on the big screens in Times Square and in everyone's news feeds, many were shocked by her appearance.

"My god, is this a scientist? Isn't this a virtual idol?"

"Forty years old? You're telling me she's forty? Is the effect of the blood orchid that exaggerated?"

"This is practically a real-life anime heroine! IQ crushing all of humanity, and she's so cute!"

On the internet, discussions about Ilya instantly went off-topic, shifting from serious scientific discussion to a fanatical pursuit of this "legal loli scientist." Countless fans even spontaneously formed support groups, hailing her as a "Physics Magical Girl" or "Spacetime Witch."

But beneath the noisy, entertainment-driven surface, truly discerning people saw the heavy weight behind this paper.

It meant that Human Civilization was just one step away from the true interstellar era.

...

Interstellar Affairs General Bureau, Director's Office.

Lei Wen looked at the blue sky outside the window, toying with a fountain pen in his hand.

On the holographic screen in front of him, the latest progress report from the FTL project team and an extremely large budget application were displayed.

"Theoretical verification is complete. Next stage: prototype trial production."

"This is a bottomless pit..." Lei Wen sighed.

Although Paradox Technology was wealthier than a nation, and the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau controlled vast resources, manufacturing the first Warp Engine required more than just money; it required the full cooperation of the entire Solar System's industrial system.

It required massive amounts of rare metals, countless high-precision parts, and the consumption of astronomical amounts of energy.

"Father, given the current international situation and internal environment, I believe there is no longer any need to conceal it." white flower suggested.

"Yes." Lei Wen nodded. "The Human Federation now has no external enemies, and those anti-social organizations internally have long been cleaned up by our security forces. No force can threaten the research institute far away in space."

"Rather than being secretive, it is better to openly make this a goal for all of humanity."

Lei Wen made his decision.

The next day, the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau held a global press conference.

Lei Wen attended in person, but this time he did not stand in the center position, instead ceding that spot to the holographic projection of Ilya.

"Everyone," Lei Wen said to the camera, "I know you are all discussing that paper, discussing that genius."

"Today, I officially announce to everyone: the Human Federation's Faster-Than-Light engine project, codenamed [FTL], is officially declassified and has entered the engineering implementation stage."

"Our goal is very clear: to manufacture the first practical Warp Engine within five years, and to build the first ship capable of Warp Drive within ten years!"

"But this is not just a matter for scientists; this is a matter for all of humanity."

Lei Wen extended an olive branch to the whole world.

"The FTL project will openly solicit funds and resources from the entire Solar System."

"What we are issuing is not just bonds, but a ticket to the future."

"Any individual, enterprise, or organization that provides funding, technology, or raw material support to this project will receive privileges in the future interstellar travel era based on their contribution, whether it is priority purchasing rights for new ships, naming rights for newly discovered star systems, or tax-free quotas for interstellar trade."

"We must gather the strength of our entire civilization to ignite that torch capable of crossing the speed of light!"

This announcement completely detonated human society; the private capital and productivity, which had seemed somewhat excessive due to the lack of war, instantly found an outlet.

Countless giant corporations waved their checkbooks and rushed through the doors of the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau, just to secure a place in the future interstellar era.

Elon's Nikola Group directly announced that it would undertake the construction of the prototype's hull.

Major mining companies expressed that they would provide the first batch of rare ores needed for the experiment free of charge.

Even ordinary citizens participated in this great crowdfunding by purchasing project bonds.

The Faster-Than-Light engine is no longer a simple scientific research project; it has become the third totem of Human Civilization after the "Moon Landing" and "The Expedition," and is the top priority for current Human Civilization.

Because everyone understands one truth: only by possessing a faster-than-light ship will Human Civilization not be a fish trapped in a pond, confined to the Solar System and a few surrounding star systems.

Only by crossing the barrier of the speed of light can Human Civilization be considered a truly free interstellar civilization.