Chapter 17: New Radiation
Professor Lu Zhaoming picked up the scanned copy of the chart, pointed to one of the data points, and said: “This is the radiation level measured by the relevant equipment in the death environment, approximately 22 microsieverts per hour.
This level is significantly higher than the approximately 0.1 microsieverts per hour in normal environments, but to be precise, it is not actually that high, roughly equivalent to 4.5 times the radiation received during an airplane’s cruising phase, and not sufficient to cause obvious reactions in the human body in a short time, only possibly slightly increasing long-term health risks.
To cause a healthy human to die from acute radiation sickness in just two minutes, the radiation dose would need to reach about 3000 sieverts per hour, which is… 130 million times the environmental radiation level shown in the chart at that time.”
Professor Lu Zhaoming raised his head, a hint of bewilderment appearing in his aged gaze: “Radiation at this level usually only appears in extreme environments such as the center of a nuclear explosion or inside a nuclear power plant’s reactor core.
Moreover, in such an environment, all electronic equipment would malfunction in an extremely short time. Because the excessively intense radiation would rapidly destroy the internal circuits of the electronic equipment.
But evidently, as Comrade Jiang Yang described, when the apocalypse arrived, all electronic equipment inside Base No. 7 was operating normally and was not destroyed by the intense radiation.
This is also evidence that the radiation level at that time was only 22 microsieverts per hour.”
Hearing Professor Lu Zhaoming’s explanation, Jiang Yang also furrowed his brow slightly.
That the cause of the apocalypse was acute radiation sickness was beyond doubt. Because in the previous cycle, the verification points set up at the national level were not just him alone.
Hundreds to thousands of people in different environments such as underwater and underground base all died due to this reason.
Jiang Yang considered and asked: “Some kind of new type of radiation? A new type of particle unknown to us for the time being, one that exceeds our current physics theory?”
In his contact with scientists like Professor Lu Zhaoming in the previous cycle, he had gained some understanding of the relevant physics knowledge. Plus, his university major was in science to begin with, so it was not difficult to propose some reasonable guesses based on understanding Professor Lu Zhaoming’s words at this moment.
Human-made radiation detection equipment can only detect known types of radiation. And the cause of the apocalypse was indeed acute radiation sickness, meaning the human body received a large dose of radiation influence in a short time. Combining the two, the answer seemed obvious: some new type of particle, undetectable by human equipment, a new type of radiation, that caused human death.
Unexpectedly, Professor Lu Zhaoming directly denied this guess: “No, human body monitoring data indicates that what killed the human body was all known conventional radiation, including alpha radiation, gamma rays, X-rays, beta rays, neutron radiation, etc.
The radiation energy provided by these particles and radiation matches the lethal dose for the human body, and also matches the radiation types we detected, which, although still low level, already exceed the normal environmental background.
We do not need to introduce new particles and new radiation to explain the death phenomenon.”
“Are you saying that what caused the human body to suffer acute radiation sickness and die in a short time can be confirmed to be those we have detected, at an intensity of 22 microsieverts per hour?”
Professor Lu Zhaoming murmured: “I cannot be certain. But combining the existing clues, what else could it be? As the saying goes, once all impossibilities are eliminated, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.
But why?…”
Jiang Yang thought and asked: “Since it is most likely it, then, can we find a way to protect against it? For example, by wearing protective clothing or something.”
Professor Lu Zhaoming smiled bitterly: “Even hundreds of meters of rock layer and thousands of meters of seawater cannot block this radiation; wanting to rely on a layer of protective clothing for protection? Impossible.”
“In that case, our focus needs to be on two issues.
First, why did 22 microsieverts per hour of radiation appear simultaneously in all different environments? Whether underground or underwater, no matter how we protected, we could not block this radiation from appearing.
Second, why could such low-level radiation cause acute radiation sickness?”
The trials between life and death had made Jiang Yang’s thinking increasingly clear and fluid: “Figuring out these two things might allow us to know the truth of the apocalypse.”
Professor Lu Zhaoming nodded slightly: “Indeed.”
Jiang Yang looked at Sun Changhe: “Director Sun, I suggest a temporary recess so the experts have time to exchange and discuss, to organize their thoughts.”
“Good. Then I announce a five-hour recess. During these five hours, the encrypted network meeting room will remain open to all experts; you can freely find colleagues for discussion.
If you need to bring in other experts, you can apply to Commander Gu, and he will arrange for that expert to be brought into the meeting room.”
After saying this, Sun Changhe hurriedly stood up and left, not knowing where he went. Jiang Yang sat in his seat, furrowed his brow in contemplation for a moment, and finally sighed.
He knew that the experts invited at this moment already represented almost the highest wisdom of the entire human world.
“I hope the experts can figure out what this is all about, or… at least find a way to figure these things out.”
Five hours passed quickly. When Jiang Yang logged into the meeting room again, he saw that the number of participants had risen from fewer than 400 before to about 700.
Sun Changhe also returned and reappeared on the screen.
“Before the meeting continues, I will first announce a few decisions.
One, establish the Apocalypse Project Command, with Comrade Jiang Yang as Commander-in-Chief.”
His gaze, full of solemnity, looked over: “Comrade Jiang Yang, your identity as a transmigrator and your time loop ability are our nation’s, our human world’s most powerful weapon against the apocalypse.
From this moment on, the fate of the nation and civilization rests on you; I hope you can lead us to find a way to continue the nation and civilization.
I guarantee to you that in this war, the entire nation will stand behind you, obey your orders and command, go all out, and spare no effort to complete any instruction you give.
From this moment on, the entire nation is your backing.”
Jiang Yang knew that in the past few hours, the national level, represented by Sun Changhe, must have gathered much more intelligence, and this intelligence must have further proven his identity and the truthfulness of his words.
From this moment on, his level of trust had risen from the “individual” level to the “national machine” level.
Although the degree still could not reach 100%, it must already be at an extremely high level.
At this moment, Jiang Yang felt a slight daze in his heart.
For him, it was less than a month ago; for these participants at this moment, it was just a few hours ago, when he was still just an ordinary employee.
And now, the entire national machine had become his backing. The resources and power in his hands had skyrocketed to an unimaginable level in an instant.
Jiang Yang truly felt a sensation.
“The fate of the nation and civilization is being carried on my shoulders…”
