158: The Akuberry

Year 2115 of the Earth Calendar.

Exactly three years had passed since the team of Kari scientists moved into the [Horizon] FTL Physics Research Institute.

During these three years, this space research station had been brightly lit through countless days and nights, and the cooling system of the optical quantum supercomputer had never stopped roaring.

In the center of the laboratory, a massive and extremely complex piece of equipment occupied most of the space. Its core was a dark purple crystal suspended in an ultra-low-temperature magnetic field. This was the resonance crystal cultivated by the young kari materials scientist, Kul, using minerals unique to the Kali Star and Earth's synthesis technology.

In front of the console, two figures—one old and one young—were staring intently at the nearly straight waveform on the holographic screen.

"Temperature has dropped to 0.0001K above absolute zero."

Dr. Ilya von Klein's voice rang out in the quiet laboratory. Though three years had passed, time had still left no trace on her delicate, doll-like face. She still wore that slightly oversized white coat, but her gaze was deeper than it had been three years ago.

"Interference elimination complete, background radiation noise filtered."

Beside her, Walker Tala's four grey-green hands flew across the interface like he was playing a piano.

"Beginning high-frequency gravitational wave induction injection... frequency 742.5 Hz... phase calibration."

"Now! Catch it!" Walker suddenly shouted.

Following his command, a faint ripple, invisible to the naked eye, passed through the suspended crystal.

Hum—

The previously dead waveform suddenly jumped violently. Without any external force, the dark purple crystal emitted a crisp and pleasant chime.

That wasn't the sound of air vibrating; it was the movement left on the material level by ripples in spacetime.

On the screen, a piece of data appeared that violated the law of causality.

The logs showed that the probe received a feedback signal the instant before the emission source was even activated.

"We caught it..." Ilya looked at the data labeled [Negative Time Delay], her hands trembling as she covered her mouth, the red light in her eyes flickering intensely. "We caught its tail."

A long-suppressed cheer erupted in the laboratory. Human and Kari scientists embraced. Even though their physiological structures were so different, their shared resonance for the truth made them of one mind in this moment.

Walker Tala slumped into his chair, tears streaming down his old face.

He had proven himself.

He had proven that the hypothesis of that 'mad old man'—the one mocked by countless people in a dilapidated laboratory under the dim red light of the Kali Star—was correct.

tachyons, the faster-than-light particles that existed only in mathematical models, had finally been observed... "This is a milestone."

A few days later, Lei Wen came to the space station again. Looking at the prototype that was now running stably, he praised it from the bottom of his heart.

In front of him, Ilya and Walker teamed up to demonstrate the practical application of this technology.

"We've named it the [Walker Effect]," Ilya said, pointing to the demonstration on the holographic projection. "By utilizing this special crystal resonance, we can actively capture and emit tachyon streams."

"There are many types of tachyons, and their speeds are not infinite. Different types have different speeds. In our current tests, the propagation speed of the tachyons we can capture is about ten thousand times the speed of light," Walker added. "This means that even across a distance of one light-year, the signal transmission delay is compressed to less than one Earth hour (about 52 minutes)."

One hour.

Compared to the long year it took for electromagnetic waves, this was practically instant communication.

"Furthermore, we can not only observe them, but also manufacture them." Ilya snapped her fingers, and a large accelerator model nearby lit up. "By using this special equipment to strike the spatial membrane at the microscopic level, we can continuously generate artificial tachyon streams. This means..."

"It means we can build Tachyon Radars and tachyon communicators," Lei Wen finished the thought, a sharp light shining in his black eyes.

"Yes," Walker nodded. "We've already designed a modification plan. We can upgrade the existing deep-space radar arrays. By simply replacing the core sensing crystals and signal processing algorithms, we can increase our detection range by several orders of magnitude."

"Before, looking at something a light-year away was like watching a recording from a year ago. Now, we're watching a live broadcast."

Lei Wen was well aware of the strategic significance of this technology.

With Tachyon Radar, the Human Federation's perception of the area surrounding the Solar System would undergo a qualitative change. Any hostile fleet attempting to approach the Solar System via sub-light speed or low-multiplier warp would be discovered before they even reached the Oort Cloud.

Moreover, the faster information could be transmitted, the stronger humanity's control over extraterrestrial territories would be.

Humanity finally had its own 'Thousand-Mile Eyes,' no longer completely dependent on the intelligence gifts of the Faleim People.

"Deploy it immediately," Lei Wen decided on the spot. "Prioritize upgrading the radar systems of Babel Tower and the Moon. It would be best to establish a few more deep-space monitoring stations on the outskirts of the Solar System."

"Also," Lei Wen looked at Ilya, "since the tachyon problem is solved, what about that big toy of yours?"

Hearing this, a confident smile curled on Ilya's lips.

"Everything is ready; all that's left is the assembly."

...Two more years passed.

Year 2117 of the Earth Calendar.

In the zero-gravity shipyard next to the [Horizon] Institute, a strangely shaped spaceship was floating quietly in the void.

It wasn't large, only about a hundred meters in total length, looking more like an oversized shuttle.

But the level of technology concentrated within it surpassed the most powerful capital ships currently in humanity's possession.

This was the Human Federation's first FTL engine validation ship—alcubierre.

The name was chosen to commemorate the famous proposer of Warp Engine theory.

Its hull utilized [EL-101 Biological Composite Super Alloy], developed by Kul and refined with Paradox Technology processes. This metal, which had a faint violet-gold sheen, was not only incredibly strong but, more importantly, had extremely high adaptability to spatial stress, making it the perfect container for a warp field.

And deep within its core was installed the culmination of over ten years of effort from both Human and Kari scientists—the Warp Engine prototype.

This engine didn't rely on ejecting propellant to push the ship; instead, it relied on a powerful energy field to warp the spacetime around the vessel.

"Antimatter injection stable, spatial curvature generator preheating complete."

"Antimatter reactor output power at 15%... 30%... energy supply is sufficient."

"Magnetic field shield deployed, currently enveloping the hull."

Inside the command center, Ilya stood on the highest command platform. She was the soul of this ship, the forger of this key.

Walker Tala stood beside her, his four hands gripping the railing so tightly he was almost holding his breath in tension.

Lei Wen was also present, quietly watching the ship as he mentally counted down.

"Target: Outer edge of Pluto's orbit, distance 5.9 billion kilometers."

"Conventional travel with pulse thrusters would take weeks; light speed would take 5.5 hours."

"Now, let's see how long we need."

Ilya took a deep breath, fire burning in her crimson eyes.

"Engage Warp Engine!"

As the command was given, the space around alcubierre suddenly underwent a visible distortion.

Ripples of transparent waves spread outward from the ship. It wasn't a vibration of matter, but a visual residue created by light being refracted by warped space.

Immediately following, the space in front of the ship was extremely compressed, while the space behind it was extremely stretched.

A warp bubble, invisible to the naked eye, formed instantly, enveloping the small Alcubierre within it.

"Increase energy output! Begin crystal frequency modulation, stabilize the spacetime structure!"

Swoosh—

A strange sound that seemed not to exist in reality echoed directly in everyone's minds.

The next second, alcubierre vanished.

It didn't need the slow acceleration of conventional propulsion, nor did it leave a long, glowing trail.

It was as if it had been "squeezed" out by the universe itself, evaporating from its original position instantly.

"Track the signal! Fast!"

"Tachyon Radar locking onto target position!"

Data on the screen jumped frantically. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the result.

About half an hour later.

"Signal confirmed!" The radar officer's voice cracked with excessive excitement. "Target has appeared on the outer edge of Pluto's orbit! Coordinate error less than 0.001%!"

"Time elapsed..."

The radar officer swallowed hard, looking at the unbelievable number.

"Time elapsed: 1960 seconds!"

Boom!

The entire command center was instantly drowned in cheers.

Even the most composed scientists couldn't help but throw their clipboards aside and embrace each other.

5.9 billion kilometers—even light would take five and a half hours to travel that distance.

But the Pioneer had only taken less than 2000 seconds!

"Calculating average speed..." Ilya's voice was still trembling, but it was filled with immense pride. "Approximately 10 times the speed of light."

Although this was only a short-distance flight test, and it was just a prototype—still a long way from the Faleim People's technology that could jump across spacetime instantly—

It was already enough.

This meant that humanity had finally bypassed the cage drawn by Einstein.

The speed of light was no longer an insurmountable wall of sighs, but a scenery that could be left behind.

"We did it, Mr. Walker." Ilya turned around and reached out her hand to the equally excited kari elder.

"Yes, Doctor." Walker tightly shook that small hand, all four of his hands trembling. "Back on the Kali Star, I once had such a vision. I thought I would never see such a miracle in my lifetime, but I never expected to witness such a moment so soon after coming to the Solar System."

Watching this scene, Lei Wen also felt a surge of indescribable pride in his heart.

He walked to the window and looked out at the deep, boundless universe.

With this engine, crossing that once-distant 5.4 light-years would now only take about half a year.

The territory of Human Civilization would no longer be limited to the vicinity of the Solar System.

The entire Orion Arm and the further reaches of the galaxy would open their arms to humanity in the future.

"white flower," Lei Wen said softly.

"I am here, Father."

"Design a comprehensive exploration plan for the star systems surrounding the Solar System. Once the Warp Engine technology is mature and mass-produced, we want to truly incorporate all star systems in the direction of Barnards Star into the administrative scope of the Human Federation."

"Planning project established. The relevant content will be sent to your personal terminal upon completion."