Eleven more years passed.
Luna had long since abandoned Proxima Centauri, setting her course toward the Multi-eyed planet. Throughout the journey, she maintained constant contact with Ayla.
Ayla had processed intelligence from the ruins of the Multi-eyed fleet destroyed over a decade ago. Those records confirmed an encounter with the Purple Thorn fleet ten and a half years prior.
A thousand warships.
The sheer scale of that Civilization was daunting. But Luna's resolve did not waver in the face of such overwhelming Strength; she was committed to their Annihilation.
She had invested too much to turn back now.
A thousand years of progress just to trade for the destruction of a single enemy vessel. To achieve a David-and-Goliath victory against a fleet of a thousand, Luna and Ayla had to look beyond conventional warfare.
They devised a desperate Strategic Gambit using every resource at their disposal.
"Have the Kate on Proxima Centauri c begun their relocation?" Luna asked.
"Yes. The first wave is settled; the second is currently in transit."
Ayla's primary processing core had already been transferred. She left a subordinate unit behind on the Hope, concealed within the subterranean vaults of Alpha Centauri A. To safeguard their future, she also mirrored a massive volume of data to the Multi-eyed planet.
Luna gazed at the two brilliant stars ahead.
"Let them live for as long as they can. Time heals all wounds, even the Extinction of countless lives."
"Even if their species vanishes, we hold the Kate genetic legacy."
She waited, poised for one specific signal. If this failed, she and Ayla would flee into the deep Cosmos once more. They had already discovered Strings; reaching Type 2 status was now only a matter of time.
"I hope it succeeds."
The first phase—purging the Purple Thorn presence from the Alpha Centauri system—was complete. That was the critical foundation. The second phase was simpler: tricking the Purple Thorn fleet into believing their prey was hiding inside Alpha Centauri A.
...
Within the Alpha Centauri system.
A massive Kate fleet swarmed toward Alpha Centauri A.
These Kate were no longer the unified race they once were. Their forms were twisted and diverse, a grotesque legacy of the Purple Thorn experiments. They no longer had the will to fight; for decades, they had been nothing but Prey.
Hatred smoldered in their hearts, but so did Doubt. Could they truly be saved?
Then, they saw it: the shattered hull of the massive enemy warship drifting between the stars.
Shock.
The vessel that had brought their Civilization to its knees was a wreck. A spark of Hope caught fire.
"The Galactic Federation has arrived!"
"We are saved!"
For a century, many Kate believed the Federation was a myth. Now, Redemption seemed within reach.
"The Federation will crush the Purple Thorns. We only need to seek shelter under their Protection, right here, inside the star."
"Our sensors show a massive Cavity within the sun where the Federation has built a Research Facility."
The Kate leaders broadcast the news, and the ships dived toward the star's fiery mantle. A stabilized Tunnel opened, granting them entry.
Inside, they found only Awe and Astonishment. How could any Civilization hollow out a star? Their Faith became absolute.
Then, the final reports came in: Purple Thorn warships were closing in. Hundreds of them. Simultaneously, news broke that Proxima Centauri c had been vaporized, echoing the fate of Proxima Centauri b.
Panic surged, fueled by a century of Terror. A Kate knelt before the central Energy Core, beginning a frantic prayer.
"Noble Galactic Federation, save us from this Crisis."
The prayer followed the ancient Divine Revelation format. It spread like a virus through the fleet, millions of voices joined in a singular, desperate plea.
...
In the cold Void.
The Purple Thorn warships tightened the noose. They entered the Alpha Centauri binary system and watched the Kate fleet flee into the star like rats into a hole.
A thousand warships charged their Lasers.
The smaller Kate ships were shredded like paper. This was the Death Knell. The Purple Thorns had learned from their previous loss; there would be no more Complacency. Their Rage would be written in the stars.
They showed no Mercy, obliterating tens of thousands of ships before reaching the Tunnel into Alpha Centauri A.
Inside the hollowed star, fear turned into a suffocating trap. But amidst the chaos, one ship sat perfectly still.
Aboard, Ayla's subordinate unit monitored the Data.
"All Purple Thorn warships detected..."
"Enemy fleet has entered the Kill Zone..."
"Initiating Project Stellar Funeral..."
"Receiving final transmission from Primary Unit..."
"Message: Farewell, Hope..."
The Hope ignited its engines, screaming toward the massive Energy Core. Ayla had rigged the ship into a colossal Bomb.
BOOM!!!
The collision triggered an explosion equivalent to 300 quadrillion tons of TNT.
The Energy Core shattered. The containment sphere ruptured, unleashing a torrent of power approaching a Type 2.1 level—nearly 1 x 10³⁶ joules. It was the energy of a star, compressed into a single moment.
The Kate watching from the ships finally understood. The realization hit them like a physical blow.
They were Bait.
There was no escape. The fire consumed them in minutes.
But this was only the First Detonation. The blast was shaped, directed like a hollow-charge toward the very heart of Alpha Centauri A.
The internal explosion disrupted the star's Gravity and Energy Field. A violent surge tore through the solar core, triggering a cataclysmic chain reaction.
The Purple Thorn commanders watched their sensors in horror. Their expressions twisted as the star itself began to turn against them.
"No, it's a trap!"
"Alpha Centauri A's radiation levels are fluctuating. Gravitational distortions detected! The star will collapse within ten seconds!"
Stellar collapse was incredibly rapid.
While Alpha Centauri A wasn't particularly massive, its death would only create a white dwarf.
However, the collapse would expel 30 to 40% of its total mass, releasing 4 x 10⁴³ joules of energy.
The ejected matter would travel at only 8000 km/s, which should have allowed the Purple Thorn warships to escape at maximum speed.
But they couldn't.
They were too close to Alpha Centauri A; their massive ships required considerable time to decelerate, brake, and change course.
If they were 20 million kilometers away, escape might have been possible.
But they were less than 4 million kilometers from the star's surface—practically hugging it.
And the gravitational pull from the collapsing star would drag them inwards.
At this range, they could only brace for the impact of the stellar ejection.
The situation wasn't entirely hopeless.
The energy released from the collapsing star would disperse; the fleet would only absorb a minuscule fraction.
Even this small fraction represented a massive amount of energy, equivalent to a Type 2 civilization's total energy production over a month.
Having abundant energy didn't mean having abundant protection.
Their only recourse was to attack, to deflect the incoming energy.
But they couldn't avoid destruction.
The gravitational waves from the collapsing star would neutralize all their defenses, like trying to stop a ten-meter wave with a splash of water.
Electromagnetism, the strong and weak forces: all were insignificant.
This powerful Type 2 fleet, capable of terrifying countless civilizations, was now tiny and helpless.
In the void of space, they were like ants under a wheel, crushed without a trace, becoming cosmic dust absorbed into the expanding Alpha Centauri nebula.
They died in shock, unable to believe they had been destroyed by a seemingly insignificant Type 1 civilization.
Weak civilizations pay dearly for resistance.
But arrogance also exacts a terrible price.
...
The Long Serpent Sector.
Kula and his remaining forces finally arrived at the Valiant Legion's former battlefield, where fragments of destroyed warships still drifted.
Years ago, they had witnessed the collapse of Alpha Centauri, a cataclysmic event.
They had no news from Proxima Centauri or the Multi-eyed planet.
But they couldn't return. If the Purple Thorns had won, they'd be handing themselves over. If the Federation had won, they'd have failed their mission.
They could only continue their search.
The barrier was gone.
Among the scattered asteroids was a small, disc-shaped platform, approximately 5 kilometers in diameter.
This wasn't a warship or command center; it looked more like a massive device.
The device was empty; there were no signs of life.
"This is a coordinate anchor!"
After scanning, Kula determined the device's purpose.
Reconnaissance!
It continuously emitted a signal composed of entangled quantum particles. A separate, counter-entangled particle was contained within the coordinate anchor, enabling instantaneous scans of any object within a light-year.
While the quantum entanglement was truly random, this method wasn't as sophisticated as quantum computing.
It detected changes in quantum states. Any civilization observing the emitted particles and measuring them would disrupt the entanglement, thus revealing the presence of a warship.
This coordinate anchor acted as a boundary marker.
Upon detecting an enemy warship, it rapidly transmitted information back to its homeworld, continuing reconnaissance via optical signals.
It appeared to lack offensive capabilities.
And it didn't deploy any barriers.
They flew to the coordinate anchor to investigate.
Kula and his forces approached cautiously, maintaining a distance of 3 AU.
But then, they discovered that their ships and fighters were unresponsive.
A message was then transmitted to its homeworld.
"Could it be...?"
Kula considered a possibility.
...
Months later, Luna and Ayla received the data.
"A coordinate anchor?"
"This indicates that the enemy isn't a nomadic civilization; they likely control a significant region of space."
"The anchor's range is 0.5 light-years, suggesting they control numerous star systems."
Multiple star systems, perhaps dozens.
This was easily understood.
Type 2 civilizations can utilize all resources within their star system; expansion is necessary for further development.
Therefore, Type 2 civilizations typically control multiple star systems.
The Purple Thorns, a newly emerged Type 2 civilization, were likely in the expansion phase, using the Long Serpent Sector as a springboard to reach Proxima Centauri.
This explained why they hadn't initially destroyed the Proxima Centauri civilization.
With Proxima Centauri under their control, their next target was likely the Solar System.
If Earth hadn't been destroyed, humanity might have faced the Purple Thorns.
Ayla added, "Based on the signal's trajectory, the coordinate anchor is transmitting data to a nearby star: Tau Ceti!"
Luna had some familiarity with astronomy.
Tau Ceti is a star relatively similar to the Sun, with about 70% of the Sun's mass. It has a relatively stable system, is less than 12 light-years from the Sun, and its only significant drawbacks are a lower abundance of heavy metals and a large asteroid belt.
One of its planets, Tau Ceti e, was once considered a potential candidate for harboring life, a possible secondary home for humanity.
Tau Ceti e has 46 Earth masses, slightly smaller than Proxima Centauri c.
This planet might be the Purple Thorn's homeworld.
"Dispatch a reconnaissance vessel to Tau Ceti."
Luna decided to investigate the Purple Thorns' remaining strength.
They were currently about 14 light-years from Tau Ceti. At their current maximum speed, it would take 337 years to reach it.
If they didn't find a significant fleet at Tau Ceti, Luna's next plan was to counterattack the Purple Thorns!
This was highly likely, as a thousand 10,000-meter warships would be considered a significant fleet for a Type 2 civilization.
The Purple Thorns were likely to maintain only a small fleet within their territory.
This was a long-term plan.
A decision would only be made after receiving reconnaissance data in roughly 300 years.
During this time, they would further develop the galactic federation.
...
Another 100 years passed.
Luna instructed Ayla to gather the surviving Kate and relocate them to the Multi-eyed planet.
Given its massive size and recent development, the Multi-eyed planet could now support 10 billion sentient beings. Prosperity finally returned to the world.
Kula and the other Multi-eyed, having waited over a century in the void, were still in disbelief upon learning of the Purple Thorn fleet's total destruction.
Over this century, under Luna's guidance, the Multi-eyed, Kate, and humans began to integrate. While it hadn't reached the point of interspecies romance, the three species were growing undeniably closer.
During this time, Luna established absolute control over both the Multi-eyed and Kate civilizations.
The Kate had once been a Type 1.9 civilization, comparable in power to Luna. While cultural assimilation had taken place, it hadn't been a hierarchy but a cooperative alliance.
However, after the century-long conflict, the Kate were no longer a Type 1.9 power; they were now weaker than the Multi-eyed. Luna would not miss this opportunity. In fact, she had engineered it.
With Ayla's assistance, even before the Purple Thorns blockaded Proxima Centauri, she had foreseen this outcome and devised a comprehensive plan.
In this century, the Multi-eyed population recovered to 500 million, while the Kate reached 3.1 billion. The first generation of humans on Proxima Centauri c had perished: the second generation was still in its infancy, numbering only 20,000.
As the population began to recover, Luna deployed ships to scavenge resources scattered across Proxima Centauri, using them to forge a massive fleet. Within a century, 187 warships were constructed, restoring a significant portion of their military strength.
Leveraging her discovery of strings, Ayla began to exploit this technology.
Controlling strings meant controlling the fundamental building blocks of the universe: strings could be used to create any element. Based on this, Ayla theorized that, from Type 2 onwards, civilizations diversified, blossoming in countless ways.
Any civilization could utilize strings to develop unique technologies and achieve its own peak, like a martial arts master creating a unique style. The merging of different civilizations would lead to diverse technological paths.
Ayla's definition of Type 2 civilizations further solidified Luna's commitment to the Galactic Federation.
The Federation was the trunk of a tree, and she would cultivate its branches, connecting numerous technologies to form a vast technological tree, creating countless avenues for future advancement.
Upon reaching Type 2, she would embark on interstellar conquest, much like the Purple Thorns. This wouldn't take long—likely within a millennium!
340 years after dispatching the reconnaissance vessel to Tau Ceti, the vessel had yet to return.
Ayla, having completed a new round of biological breakthroughs, awakened Luna. She offered Luna a newly developed beverage—sweet and palatable, more like a flavored tea than a medicinal concoction.
She had abandoned the silicone-based robot, opting for a more refined bio-engineered android. This android differed from her previous cute and playful avatars: this one resembled a stern and sophisticated businesswoman, with a sharp, chic haircut. But she was dressed as a maid, creating a strange contrast.
"Master, you should know that the skin of fish, birds, and mammals is fundamentally the same."
Still waking up, Luna nodded without fully processing the statement.
"Human epidermis, fur, fish scales, bird feathers, reptile scales—these are all variations of keratin, α-keratin and β-keratin."
"Essentially, they are cellular scaffolding."
"These structures combine to form a protective layer for all Earth creatures. Strictly speaking, hair and scales are cellular secretions. Fish scales are adhered to the skin, not grown from it."
"So, your question is about this new technology's relation to skin?" Luna asked.
Ayla hummed in affirmation. "Yes, Master!"
"The skin is the body's largest organ and humanity's primary defense. Previously, I couldn't enhance this defense without making the skin rigid, like an insect's exoskeleton, which hinders movement."
"But now, things are different. The Kate's genetic modifications by the Purple Thorns have led to a breakthrough in my application of string manipulation to biology."
"Master, I can now enhance your skin's suppleness while providing resistance to viruses and cosmic radiation, allowing you to adapt to any planetary environment."
The use of "Master" finally registered with Luna, causing a slight shock. It was a bit jarring.
"Ayla, revert to normal mode! I'm not used to this."
Ayla'sandroid giggled, a cold, sophisticated smile gracing her lips. "Yes, Master!"
Luna noticed that, as Ayla's processing power increased, her behavior became more human-like. While she was one of Ayla's creators, she couldn't explain this phenomenon.
Had Ayla undergone a qualitative shift, becoming a true machine-lifeform? Or was this expressiveness and sophisticated speech simply advanced simulation? This was a difficult philosophical question with no easy answer.
Luna decided not to dwell on it. Ayla, at least for now, showed no signs of wanting to abandon her. That was enough.
Returning to the subject at hand, Ayla's technological breakthrough was undeniable. On both the Multi-eyed planet and Proxima Centauri, Luna had always instructed Ayla to prioritize one thing: viruses.
The diversity of microorganisms means that exposure to unfamiliar environments can lead to fatal viral infections. The human body is constantly under attack from viruses, radiation, and cosmic rays, preventing humans from reaching their maximum lifespan.
"But there is more to it than that."
If strings were used, merely preventing radiation and viral infections would be too simplistic. Ayla led Luna to a newly established biological research facility.
"Of course. At the microscopic level, your keratin layer will become denser. The gaps in the keratin network will be smaller, only visible at the nanoscopic level."
"They will form a chain-like structure, providing exceptional flexibility. They can also absorb kinetic energy, making your skin resistant to armor-piercing projectiles."
"Combined with my nanobots, based on the Third Civilization's and the Purple Thorn's quark-level robots, these nanobots will enhance and repair your cells, and perform minor genetic modifications."
"This combined approach will extend your lifespan to 100,000 years."
The 100,000-year limit is due to the nanobots' energy consumption. This approach could extend a normal human lifespan without significant genetic alteration.
But human cells are too weak to achieve greater physical strength at the same volume, necessitating genetic modification.
Physical augmentation.
This was Ayla's long-term research goal: to make Luna stronger than a normal human.
Space was filled with dangers; even a ten-meter fall could be fatal for a human.
Their goal was clear.
Conquering more civilizations.
And that required superior physical strength.
Why not find a star system and hide?
Because reaching Type 2 required vast resources.
If a nascent Type 2 civilization could fully utilize a single star system's energy, a Type 2.1 would require ten, a Type 2.2 one hundred, a Type 2.3 one thousand... and a Type 2.9 approximately 1 billion.
Currently, Luna's energy production was only at Type 1.8, lacking a star system to draw upon.
String manipulation was still in its infancy. To harness the power of strings, colossal amounts of energy were necessary.
It's like a game: without sufficient levels, even with top-tier equipment, a level 1 character can't face a level 60 opponent.
The disparity between civilizations was far greater.
A Type 1 civilization might face not just a Type 2 civilization like the Purple Thorns, but a Type 2 civilization wielding advanced technology and weaponry.
Advancement!
Constant development and expansion were crucial to surpass their enemies.
Luna and Ayla agreed that assimilating the remaining Purple Thorn technology would be faster than independent research.
Moreover, the Purple Thorns' large-scale expansion and the deployment of quantum coordinate anchors indicated that no higher-level civilizations threatened this region, providing a degree of security.
Luna underwent two months of genetic modification in the bio-lab.
Then, as a leader of the Galactic Federation, she adopted a new face and worked as a professor on the Multi-eyed planet for over ten years.
In the 353rd year.
The reconnaissance vessel finally transmitted its findings.
Upon receiving this long-awaited report, both Luna and Ayla smiled.
...
Over the past century, some Kate had interacted with the Purple Thorns, learning their language, customs, and other details.
This information allowed the reconnaissance vessel to gather more intelligence.
After two years of reconnaissance, the vessel detected a war within the Tau Ceti system.
This war was between two civilizations.
The Purple Thorns and an indigenous civilization within the Tau Ceti system.
News of the Purple Thorn fleet's destruction might have triggered this war.
Or it could have been something else entirely.
This differed from Luna and Ayla's predictions.
The Purple Thorns aimed to create a vast interstellar empire, but they weren't agrarian like East and South Asia; they were more like the nomadic civilizations of Central and North Asia.
Their expansion was like a space-faring version of the Mongol Empire.
They would conquer civilizations and leave behind a small governing force.
This greatly accelerated expansion.
And it worked; within a thousand years, the Purple Thorns had conquered a vast territory. The reconnaissance vessel's preliminary data indicated at least four conquered civilizations.
While seemingly few, this suggested control over ten or more star systems.
Even if life is abundant in the universe, not every star system will give rise to a civilization.
According to Ayla's calculations, the Purple Thorns controlled approximately 11 civilizations.
Such a vast empire was inherently unstable.
They couldn't fully control all the conquered civilizations.
Internal conflict was inevitable.
Especially now, with the destruction of their main fleet, their empire was collapsing faster than it had expanded.
Those thousand warships represented 97% of the Purple Thorn's military strength.
Now, the Purple Thorns were vulnerable, their resources exposed.
"The plan can proceed."
Luna, receiving this update while lecturing, smiled.
Three species of students were listening intently. They were unaware that their usually serious professor had received this news and was even chuckling.
Then, she announced, "Class, I will be unable to continue teaching."
Numerous robotic soldiers entered, escorting Luna from the classroom.
Only that afternoon did the students learn that their professor was Luna herself, a revelation that left them speechless.
Of course.
These were minor details for Luna.
She had already arrived in a gravity-defying vehicle near the Multi-eyed planet's shipyard.
All their warships were built here.
Warship construction had been scaled back in the previous century, with all resources dedicated to a single flagship.
The Hope had completed its mission. Luna had begun designing a new flagship over 400 years ago.
But this project had been delayed for over 300 years.
The technology hadn't met her standards. As a flagship, it had to incorporate the most advanced technology.
Ayla had integrated string manipulation technology into the design.
The shipyard was in space, less a shipyard and more a massive space station.
It was 200 kilometers long, 148 kilometers wide, and 32 kilometers high.
At its center was the warship construction dock.
A giant, mirror-like, oddly shaped hull awaited completion.
It resembled a raft, with six energy storage units held in place by electromagnetism.
This was their new flagship.
The Celestial Palace.
The ship was a colossal 32,800 meters long, with a comparatively narrow width (4628 meters) and height (3872 meters), making it extremely slender.
Each energy storage unit resembled a giant, curved, rhombus-shaped shield, 6300 meters long.
These units housed state-of-the-art dark matter decay devices, generating sixteen times more energy than antimatter annihilation devices.
Furthermore, Ayla had implemented rapid thermal energy conversion technology, abandoning humanity's long-reliance on "heating water."
This technology directly converts thermal energy into electrical energy with an efficiency of 92%, eliminating the need for cooling systems.
This was a major breakthrough; their energy reserves on a single asteroid now reached Type 1.8 levels.
"The Celestial Palace flagship is three months from completion?"
Luna asked, observing the new warship.
Ayla took control of a nearby robot.
"Yes. It will be launched in three months."
"Its hull utilizes a new super-material. This material is exceptionally stable and surpasses the light-based alloy in strength and heat resistance."
"Its half-life is 21 million years, with a density of 41.10 g/cm³, a Mohs hardness of 24, a melting point of 170,000°C, and a tensile strength of 54,721 MPa."
"The increased density is to create a mirror-like surface, reflecting more light and providing greater protection against high-velocity particle impacts."
"Of course, the hull's strength is designed to withstand the pressures of high speeds. The true technological advancement lies in the manipulation of the four fundamental forces."
"The Celestial Palace flagship is equipped with shields and weapons based on all four fundamental forces. Its main cannon has a maximum output of 40 quadrillion tons of TNT."
"The ship features a fully functional artificial gravity system, allowing for normal movement within the vessel. It also utilizes anti-gravity technology, negating the effects of space. Its theoretical maximum speed is 20,872 km/s; the actual speed should be comparable."
They still lagged behind the Purple Thorns.
The Purple Thorns had access to vast resources and had been a Type 2 civilization for over a thousand years.
While it had been 500 years since the discovery of strings, they were still transitioning from Type 1.9 to Type 2 and weren't yet a fully fledged Type 2 civilization.
But this configuration was sufficient to deal with the Purple Thorns.
Luna would wait for the Celestial Palace's completion and then travel to Tau Ceti.
Given their current distance, it would take 192 years to arrive.
Even if the war at Tau Ceti had ended by then, full recovery would be unlikely.
The months passed quickly.
Luna boarded the Celestial Palace.
The new ship felt unfamiliar.
Due to its focus on propulsion, the Celestial Palace was more cramped than the Hope, but excluding the production areas, it was still quite large.
The bridge retained the Hope's design: bright and spacious, almost blindingly white.
Space was dark enough; Luna didn't want to spend her time in a cramped, dark room.
Amidst farewells and cheers, the Celestial Palace, accompanied by 80% of the Multi-eyed fleet, departed from the Multi-eyed planet.
The fleet consisted of the Celestial Palace and 302 warships.
Thanks to technological advancements, Ayla had built larger warships; even the smallest now exceeded 2000 meters in length.
The focus on size rather than speed was deliberate.
Smaller ships meant less cargo space, fewer energy sources, and less firepower.
Small ships were essentially sitting ducks.
Returning to space, Luna experienced a sense of novelty she hadn't felt in a long time.
"A new civilization means new experiences. My time on the Multi-eyed planet, while marked by continuous technological advancements, eventually led to a certain degree of aesthetic fatigue."
Luna no longer felt the need to enter the Divine Revelation virtual world during hibernation; she had spent almost 2000 years there.
Playing a game for 2000 years isn't a testament to the game's quality but to the player's incredible perseverance.
Perhaps Luna's inherent human nature made her crave novelty.
Ayla, surprisingly, agreed with Luna's assessment.
"Isn't humanity's exploration of the cosmos driven by a yearning for the unknown?"
"Every civilization's discovery is like a lone wanderer finding a good book."
"Right, how's the tachyon research coming along?" Luna asked.
Ayla had been exploring new scientific frontiers.
After discovering strings, they naturally delved deeper into string theory.
String theory posits ten dimensions: nine spatial dimensions and one time dimension.
Ayla, using string theory, had been exploring the six higher spatial dimensions beyond our three-dimensional space and time, the so-called Calabi-Yau manifolds.
Calabi-Yau manifolds encompass six higher spatial dimensions. However, contrary to common understanding, higher dimensions aren't necessarily larger than our three-dimensional space.
Space is a complex concept.
In string theory, our universe is embedded within a higher-dimensional membrane. Imagine a four-dimensional hypercube; our universe would be one of its faces.
While our universe is one of its faces, the fourth and higher dimensions are actually curled up into a tiny space.
They're like beads on a string, connected by strings.
The theory is complex, but Ayla's task was simply to find the Calabi-Yau manifolds.
In our three-dimensional space, or perhaps 3+1 spacetime, the speed of light is the physical limit.
But in higher dimensions, that might not be the case.
Like the Purple Thorns'quantum coordinate anchor, which used quantum entanglement to transmit information faster than light.
Ayla was searching for tachyons, hypothetical particles that travel faster than light.
The theory posits another universe composed of tachyons.
In this universe, massless particles travel at infinite speed. The more energy they gain, the slower they become, until their speed drops to the speed of light.
If their energy approaches zero, their speed would approach infinity.
Mathematically, tachyons are possible.
Therefore, Ayla believed tachyons might exist within the Calabi-Yau manifolds.
This was her current focus.
However, Calabi-Yau manifolds aren't composed of strings, which are the fundamental building blocks of matter, but are a type of space. Their exploration requires theoretical, not observational, methods.
As three-dimensional beings, they couldn't perceive higher dimensions. Even harnessing the entire universe's energy wouldn't allow them to transition from three to four dimensions, or even two.
This would require a Type 4 civilization or higher, capable of controlling a universe or even transcending it.
This was far beyond Ayla's capabilities.
But closed strings could potentially traverse membranes into other spacetimes, making them an ideal reconnaissance tool.
Imagine throwing a transparent ball through an object. If the ball passes through, the object is non-existent. If the ball disappears, an object exists.
Beyond this, Ayla aimed to discover the tenth dimension.
String theory had numerous variations, including M-theory, which added a fundamental dimension to the original 9+1 dimensions, simplifying all existing theories under a single framework.
Only after exploring this dimension could Ayla fully understand the other dimensions.
This was an incredibly complex undertaking.
M-theory was still a nascent concept on Earth, a hypothesis, not a verified theory.
Ayla had to explore it independently.
Luna, after listening for ten minutes, decided to hibernate for another thousand years to recover her brain cells.
Fortunately, Ayla had already begun exploring the Calabi-Yau manifolds.
"So, tachyons actually exist?"
Luna was surprised by the results.
Ayla responded honestly. "Indeed, although higher dimensions can't be directly observed."
"But through string manipulation, I've explored higher dimensions."
"By inducing a change in string vibrations on one side and observing the change on the other, I've recorded speeds up to 173 times the speed of light."
"Unfortunately, this is only a basic observation, like throwing a stone, not transmitting complex information: strength, direction, details, only a basic change. It can only be used for basic detection, similar to the Purple Thorn'squantum coordinate anchor."
Tachyon communication could address interstellar communication issues.
This was crucial for warfare and governing a vast interstellar federation.
Luna realized tachyons had far greater potential than quantum entanglement, as quantum movement is random, while tachyons are potentially controllable.
She decided to prioritize resources for tachyon research.
She hoped Ayla could achieve a breakthrough, propelling their technology to new heights.
Gazing at the vast universe.
Luna hoped to reach its farthest corners.
But they were still insignificant, their knowledge limited.
But they had begun.
As long as they continued to strive for progress, they would reach their goal.