Chapter 160: Preparation Time
A’dai heard this, and the powerful computing power under the photonic computer allowed it to analyze the meaning in Fan Ren’s words without any hesitation at all.
Its answer seemed to require no time for thought at all.
“Boss, my operation method is the same as Primal’s, also using the computer’s powerful computing power to analyze and make decisions on every matter.
Even with the photonic computer on Conqueror boosting it, now I am even more powerful than our Xinghai Supercomputer back then.
Similarly, for some simple science and technology research and development that requires a large amount of computation, I can also participate in it to help them avoid detours and thereby speed up.”
Fan Ren nodded. In this sense, although this series of crises was caused by the Primal issue.
The outcome was relatively acceptable, after all, they now thoroughly had a reliable artificial intelligence with self-awareness.
Relying on A’dai, even if new artificial intelligences accidentally emerge in humanity’s network in the future, it will discover them in time and handle them accordingly.
Moreover, from Fan Ren’s perspective alone, A’dai was trustworthy; otherwise, there would be no need to painstakingly tell them all the detailed information about this spaceship.
One must know that before this, Primal also knew that warp drive would trigger a crisis of being detected by other civilizations, yet it didn’t care about it at all.
A’dai was different; it told Fan Ren about this discovery immediately to issue a warning.
Furthermore, although A’dai now survived in another form, Fan Ren had after all ‘killed’ it once with his own hands, and the guilt in his heart was hard to eliminate.
“This is great, isn’t it, A’dai? On behalf of Great Xia, I say sorry to you. And Fan Ren, don’t be discouraged or guilty. Scientific research is like this, always accompanied by failures and accidents; perfect success is basically impossible, of course, except for you, kid.
Compared to 99% of scientists, you are already extraordinary. Don’t lose heart because of this ‘accidental’ failure on yourself; Great Xia needs your talent.
Don’t forget, just as you said earlier, this universe is not quiet.”
Elder Ye’s few short sentences not only eliminated the guilt that had just risen in Fan Ren but also gave him full motivation.
Yes, the crisis had not been resolved.
“This is what I’m thinking: next, we must assume that there are civilizations in star systems within 10 light years of the Solar System, and that the other side has already detected our warp drive fluctuations here and responded to them, including but not limited to sending spaceships for on-site detection, telescope detection, and dispatching fleets to launch war plunder here.
In the current situation, we know nothing about the universe outside. We must raise our vigilance to the maximum, because if it’s really as I said and we don’t respond in advance, what awaits us then may be destruction, enslavement, or colonization.”
Fan Ren elevated this crisis to a very serious level. After Liu Shengzhan heard it, he exchanged a glance with Li Jian.
Both saw the gravity in each other’s eyes.
“For this, we should prepare responses in this direction.
First, we must vigorously develop space technology. Xinghai is ahead in this aspect, and I will not shirk responsibility. Next, Xinghai will invest its main efforts into space science research and development.
At the same time, for Xinghai’s production and processing, I will hand it over to Great Xia Ministry of Industry to handle, and I also suggest that the Ministry of Industry let A’dai participate in it for reasonable planning and coordination to achieve more efficient results, thereby saving a lot of manpower and resources.
In the attack test on Conqueror, we discovered a fact that is hard to accept.
Currently, no weapons produced by humanity seem able to cause it the slightest damage.
We need to increase investment in research and development in this area. Taking Conqueror as an example, at least we must have weapons in hand that can damage its armor, so that in the future, when possibly facing extraterrestrial civilizations, we have some resistance capability.”
Liu Shengzhan heard this and couldn’t help but feel gloomy for a moment; humanity’s centuries of weapon research seemed so laughable in front of Conqueror.
Meanwhile, Fan Ren continued without stopping: “There’s some good news. From the limited information obtained from this spaceship so far, we can know that this cutting-edge warp drive technology can only be used within star systems, relying on star gravity for positioning to perform space jump navigation. Outside the star system range, even high-level civilizations probably still have to use thrust engine technology to propel spaceships across the long, desolate interstellar space with no planetary systems.
According to our current technological strength, taking our fastest spaceship Peregrine Falcon as an example, due to stress factors, our materials currently only allow it to accelerate to a maximum of 1000 kilometers per second. In this aspect, calculating that extraterrestrial civilizations exceed us by 3 times, assuming their spaceships can travel at 3000 kilometers per second in interstellar space, then for the nearest star system to us, Alpha Centauri at 4.2 light years, the fastest time for that civilization to reach Earth would still take 420 years.
Here, adding other factors we currently can’t consider, assuming it only takes 200 years.
Then, this 200 years is the shortest time limit we can use for development.
I don’t know if my calculation is too optimistic, but for now, it can only be this way; perhaps they have other means to reach the Solar System faster.
But no matter what, this kind of assumption of mine must be taken seriously.
Because, if it’s really as I assume, perhaps in 200 years, humanity without resistance awareness will very likely face a destructive extinction crisis.”
Fan Ren’s explanation was very straightforward and easy to understand; even Ye Rongshan, who didn’t know much about deep space navigation, roughly understood the meaning.
He said very firmly directly: “No problem, now you’re the expert in this area; we’ll go by your estimation result. Say any other plans you have; I’m recording here.”
Fan Ren nodded, putting away his bit of lack of confidence. No matter what, facing possibly existing extraterrestrial civilizations, humanity must respond with full effort.
The principle that falling behind means getting beaten is not only understood by Fan Ren but by everyone present.
Not to mention in the current space age, if the strength level gap is too obvious, it’s not just simply getting beaten.
Logically speaking, once the enemy has the ability to completely destroy you, there’s no reason for them to sit down and talk cooperation with you properly.
Unless you yourself have something they value and need to use.
But no matter what, surviving by relying on such demand is not safe.
