56: About to set sail

Time goes back to five days ago.

When the draft of the "Secret Memorandum of Understanding," which was enough to make any patriot feel humiliated, was sent through the most confidential channels to Elon's temporary presidential office in Sacramento, this tech fanatic who had just won half the country through a civil war did not fly into a rage as others had imagined.

He just sat quietly behind his desk, which was full of futuristic design, reading word for word those harsh terms that bordered on "treason."

Restricting armaments, ceding part of sovereignty, accepting external supervision...

Every item was ruthlessly castrating the country's future independence and autonomy.

The several Republican Party elders beside him and General Pierre, who had just returned from the battlefield, were all filled with righteous indignation upon seeing this agreement.

"This is absolutely unacceptable!" a senior senator slammed the table and roared, "What is the difference between this and making us a colony? We just won a civil war, not to sign an agreement even more humiliating than that of a defeated nation!"

"Mr. President," General Pierre's voice was also filled with unwillingness, "As long as you give the order, the Alliance's army is confident in pushing the front line to Washington! We don't need to bow to anyone!"

However, contrary to everyone's expectations, Elon's reaction was unusually calm.

He just frowned.

It was a reaction purely out of a businessman's instinct, similar to what one might show when discovering that a few terms in a business contract were not very favorable to oneself.

There was no anger, no humiliation, and certainly none of the visceral pain of having one's sovereignty violated that a national leader should have.

Because fundamentally, Elon was not a person keen on politics.

He was a capitalist through and through, a half-baked scientist, an adventurer full of romantic fantasies.

The driving force that propelled him forward was never "national honor" or "national righteousness."

It was two of the purest things—making money and exploring the starry sky.

He was not a nationalist.

In his worldview, national borders, races, cultures... these were all invisible shackles binding humanity from moving toward the vast universe.

He even lacked the most basic sense of responsibility and empathy as a national leader.

In his view, as long as it allowed him to continue climbing the tech tree, allowed him to continue sending rockets into the sky, allowed his company's stock to continue rising...

As for who was the nominal owner of this country, or who needed to report to whom, it actually wasn't that important.

He waved his hand, signaling the other excited people in the room to calm down first.

Then he pressed a communication button on his desk.

Soon, the Paradox Technology LOGO appeared on the projection screen in front of him.

"StarRiver," Elon went straight to the point, he was too lazy to even use diplomatic rhetoric, "Is this agreement you sent over a bit too harsh?"

"Harsh?" Lei Wen's voice showed no ripples.

"I can understand restricting armaments, and I agree with promoting the World Government, but ceding economic sovereignty and accepting an AI as Minister of Commerce? This will cause many of our local companies to completely lose their advantage in future competition." Elon argued, still concerned about commercial interests.

"And," he rarely showed a trace of patriotism, "Isn't what you're doing a bit too unfair to the Americans who fought for the Alliance? They didn't bleed and sacrifice just to swap in a new overlord."

Lei Wen listened to his complaints quietly without interrupting.

Until he finished speaking, Lei Wen slowly opened his mouth.

"Elon, you seem to have misunderstood one thing."

"This agreement is not punishing the United States, nor is it punishing the American people."

"It is punishing a backward, selfish, and internal-strife-filled old system."

"Do you think that without my intervention, you and your supporters could really have won this civil war?" Lei Wen's words were as sharp as a blade.

"Do you think those old-era oligarchs would really care about civilian casualties when they were at the end of their rope, or that they wouldn't dare to push the nuclear button?"

Elon was silent.

He knew what Lei Wen said was the truth.

If not for the weapons and intelligence support from Paradox Technology that were like divine help, as well as the incomprehensible information blockade, he might already be a cold corpse by now.

"What I have done," Lei Wen continued, "is simply to euthanize an old order that should have been completely destroyed in a long and bloody civil war, in a more gentle and efficient way."

"As for those terms," Lei Wen's tone became unquestionable.

"They are not to restrict the United States, but to ensure that in the coming decades, no country on this planet will possess the power to threaten the unity of the entire Earth civilization."

"What we need is a unified, efficient Earth where all forces move in the same direction."

"Not a twisted jungle filled with suspicion, strife, and arms races."

"As for the fairness you mentioned..." A faint, imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Lei Wen's mouth.

"When your people enjoy cheap electricity brought by fusion energy, when your country can invest more resources into education and scientific research because it has gotten rid of the quagmire of the arms race, and when your company gains unprecedented room for development because of an absolutely fair and just AI Minister of Commerce..."

"Do you think they will still care about that so-called national dignity?"

Lei Wen's words echoed in Elon's ears like a magic spell.

Elon found that he simply could not refute it.

Because he knew that the future Lei Wen described was exactly what he dreamed of.

A utopia without political bickering, where everyone strives for technological progress and interstellar exploration.

"Fine, fine, you win." Elon finally shrugged helplessly, "You've convinced me, I will sign this agreement."

"However," he changed the subject, and his face revealed that excited expression like a child again, "In exchange, you must promise me one thing."

"Speak."

"The voyager! I heard it has completed all its tests and is ready to set sail at any time, is that true?"

"Yes." Lei Wen nodded, "Its first voyage mission has been confirmed, the destination is Mars."

"That's great!" Elon slapped the table excitedly, "Take me with you! I must be the first passenger to board that ship! I want to go to Mars and see it myself! That is my dream!"

The speed of his emotional shift made even Lei Wen feel a bit dumbfounded.

One second he was "arguing" for the fate of a country, and the next second he had thrown all his worries behind him, only thinking about going for a joyride in space.

However, this proposal gave Lei Wen an unexpectedly bold idea.

He thought for a moment.

Would Elon leaving the United States temporarily cause too much impact?

It didn't seem so.

This "temporary president" was almost like a mascot during the war.

All the Alliance's political decrees, military decisions, logistics scheduling... were almost entirely handled by the "white flower" hidden behind him.

Elon only stood in front when needed, delivered a few impassioned speeches, and then signed his name on the documents.

His political sensitivity and ability to handle complex government affairs were not even as good as one of his ordinary secretaries.

If he left Earth for a period of time...

Wouldn't that be the perfect opportunity for "white flower" to fully let go and take over and reform the entire US government system without any interference?

Lei Wen had always been very curious about one question—

What would a country led by a super AI that is completely rational and has the maximization of efficiency and long-term interests as its only goal actually look like?

That would be an unprecedented great social experiment.

An ultimate experiment to verify whether the rule of the Philosopher King envisioned by Plato in The Republic is feasible.

And Elon's request to "skip work" provided a perfect opportunity for this experiment.

"Fine."

Lei Wen finally agreed.

"You can board the voyager and become one of its first passengers."

"In fact," he added, "I can authorize you to have a bedroom of your own next to the captain's cabin on this ship."

"Really?" Elon was as happy as a child who had gotten a beloved toy.

"Of course." A gleam of cunning flashed in Lei Wen's eyes.

"However, during the time you are away, the daily affairs of the Alliance... I will have my AI assistant help you handle them."

"No problem! No problem! Leave it all to her!" Elon waved his hand indifferently, "As long as I can go to Mars, I don't care even if you let a dog be president!"

He was completely unaware that he had just handed over the supreme ruling power of a superpower to an artificial intelligence in an extremely hasty manner.

...

Ten days after the peace agreement was signed.

That magnificent starship carrying the hope of all mankind—the voyager—was parked quietly in the starport dock of the Guanghan Palace Base on the moon.

All its testing work had long been completed.

Seven thousand top astronauts, scientists, engineers, and soldiers from all over the world, who had been selected through layers of screening, had completed their final assembly.

They would become the first crew members of this giant ship.

Before the era comes when humanity steps into the starry sky and goes to settle on other planets.

The voyager itself was a self-sufficient mobile home like Noah's Ark.

Elon had been impatient to go to Mars; on the fifth day after the peace agreement was signed, he hurriedly arrived at the Guanghan Palace Base by a jinglei-class transport ship.

In front of the voyager's hull, which was as huge as a mountain, even someone like Elon who was used to big scenes could not help but hold his breath.

He felt as if he were standing at the feet of a sleeping Titan.

The visual impact brought by pure industrial power and future technology was enough to make anyone with a heart toward the stars feel passionate.

"Welcome aboard, Mr. President."

The captain of the voyager was Li Zhenhua, that veteran Chinese astronaut who had been among the first to arrive at the Guanghan Palace Base.

He was wearing a brand-new, sci-fi-looking dark blue Earth United Space Force uniform, and gave a standard military salute to Elon at the boarding gate.

Behind him were crew representatives from all over the world.

They were also wearing brand-new uniforms, and everyone's face was filled with a pride and excitement that they were about to make history.

Nationality, race, language... at this moment, they no longer mattered.

They had only one common identity—crew members of the voyager.

They were Earthlings.