Rebirth of the Super Battleship-Chapter 740: Jasons Dilemma

“In terms of understanding the Sweepers Civilization, no one can compare to Director Xu. So it is certain that when Director Xu and Teacher devised this plan, they must have taken all factors into account. This plan must be very simple, because externally it only has three visible components, one, transporting stars; two, developing half of the Spatial Bomb; three, developing black lightning. But the three components that make up this plan must also be absolutely necessary. Each of the three conditions is very important. If even one is missing, the plan cannot hold.”

In his office, Jason was silently pondering this problem.

Research in the psychosocial sciences was different from research in the science and technology division. It did not require complex, precise experiments, nor massive data analysis, nor a vast reserve of specialized knowledge.

It relied more on talent.

And in the current society of the Divine Ark Civilization, the one with the most outstanding talent was, without question, Jason.

“First, analyze what use the stars have. The following is a list of functions of stars. One, they provide energy. Two, they provide gravity. Three, they emit all kinds of radiation. Four…”

“Next, analyze the function of the Spatial Bomb. Only half of the Spatial Bomb is being developed, which is very likely Director Xu’s way of testing our Divine Ark Civilization’s capability in technological research and development. That part is the task assigned to Luka Three and Number Five and has nothing to do with me. I only need to deduce the function of the Spatial Bomb itself. The Spatial Bomb belongs to the domain of a Level 7 Civilization. With the technology data obtained from the Micron Civilization, we can carry out development of this weapon even without having mastered the space energy formula. A fully developed Spatial Bomb possesses extremely powerful might. In fact, Spatial Starburst is simply another manifestation of a Spatial Bomb.”

“Without a doubt, the Spatial Bomb will greatly raise the average combat strength of our warships, giving us a greater advantage in conventional battles. But what is the point of that? If we do not destroy the Neutron War Star, all we do will remain meaningless. Could it be that a fully developed Spatial Bomb, one whose power surpasses that of Spatial Starburst, can annihilate the Neutron War Star?”

Jason was silently thinking through these questions, but he quickly realized that he had run into an obstacle.

The obstacle came from an insufficient stock of specialized scientific knowledge. Jason did not know how powerful a Spatial Bomb would have to be to destroy the Neutron War Star. But from his intuition, he felt this might be a feasible plan.

Given his scientific literacy, he still understood some basic points.

For instance, the principle of the Spatial Bomb was to convert space itself into energy.

Thus, he could make the following assumption, if there were a sufficiently powerful Spatial Bomb that converted the region of space in which the Neutron War Star was located into pure energy and detonated it, what kind of damage would that inflict on the Neutron War Star?

He could not answer this question, so he laid it before Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu was silent for a moment, then replied, “The confidentiality regulations are lifted, but only for Luka Three and Number Five. From this moment, you may freely communicate with them and obtain scientific support. As for the answer to this question, seek it from them.”

“Understood.”

Jason answered, then left his office and took a spaceship to the research institute where Luka Three and Number Five worked.

Luka Three and Number Five were clearly very busy.

Many assistants were hurrying back and forth, conducting a series of experiments. Large amounts of experimental data were being gathered and sent to the two of them.

As they looked through these experimental results, the two would from time to time break out into heated arguments.

Clearly, their opinions differed, and neither could convince the other.

So the two decided to each carry out experiments according to their own ideas in order to verify them.

Jason quietly stayed there, without disturbing them.

The people bustling about also automatically ignored his presence.

Only after five full hours did Luka Three and Number Five come out from their respective experimental areas. Jason could clearly see frustration written on their faces.

Obviously, the final results had proved that both of their ideas were wrong.

At this moment, Number Five finally noticed Jason and asked in surprise, “Jason, what are you doing here?”

“There are some matters for which I need your support. I already have Master’s permission.” Jason said. “Here is the situation…”

Jason recounted the entire course of events and his speculations to Luka Three and Number Five.

After pausing for a moment to let them fully digest the information, he asked, “I want to know, if we successfully develop the Spatial Bomb and then manufacture a high-yield Spatial Bomb to detonate the space around the Neutron War Star, what consequences would that have? Could it destroy the Neutron War Star? Even if it cannot destroy it, could it at least cause some damage?”

Luka Three and Number Five exchanged a look, then shook their heads at the same time.

“Although in theory it can be done, as long as the Spatial Bomb you create has sufficient power, in reality it is essentially impossible.” they said.

“After a simple calculation, I came to the following conclusion, even putting aside the idea of destroying the Neutron War Star, just to damage it even slightly would require detonating all the space within a spherical region with a diameter of ten billion kilometers. Obviously, that is something we cannot accomplish.”

A spherical space with a diameter of ten billion kilometers was roughly the size of a solar system.

Jason nodded slightly and said, “My research may require your cooperation at any time. I have established a shared communications channel; both of you join it so we can communicate whenever necessary.”

“All right.”

Luka Three and Number Five agreed in unison, then no longer paid attention to Jason and went back to their work.

Jason sighed quietly and left.

“So it is clear that the significance of the Spatial Bomb does not lie in its destructive power, but in what it represents. The Spatial Bomb belongs to the domain of a Level 7 Civilization. Are we supposed to build a Spatial Bomb and then threaten the Sweepers Civilization by claiming that a Level 7 Civilization is secretly backing us? That is far too absurd. Then what else does the Spatial Bomb represent? And what does black lightning represent?”

Jason was trying his best to think these questions through.

As for the matter of black lightning, Luka Three had given him an answer.

“Black lightning technology was fully developed by Director Xu. It is indeed a weapon with tremendous killing power. But if you are asking me what other technologies black lightning is related to, I can only tell you this, I do not know.”

“Perhaps I can make this kind of conjecture.” Jason thought silently.

“Perhaps black lightning technology simply represents a way of converting stellar energy. Director Xu required Master to transport one thousand stars here, and it might also be for this reason. Hmm… Among existing technologies, the only similar one is the technology that uses stellar energy to restore the life force of the Specter companion. In this respect, black lightning technology is the same as that.”

Both black lightning technology and the technology that used stellar energy to restore the life force of the Specter companion required a large number of stars to complete.

This was their common point.

And it was precisely this common point that led Jason to connect black lightning technology and those one thousand stars with the Specter companion.

“But the Specter companion lost life force because they were controlling the Micron corpse. Now that the Micron corpse no longer exists, what use is technology that restores life force? Even if this conjecture is correct, what use is the Spatial Bomb?”

“Luka Three, Number Five, I need the following technology data, and I have the following questions that I need you to answer…”

“Lord Three, although I respect you greatly, I have to tell you that doing this is wrong. It will not help our research at all. It will only subject us to the constraints of the Level 7 barrier.”

“Number Five, you are making a subjective error. It is obvious that this approach cannot succeed…”

Xiao Yu watched all of this.

Two years had passed.

More than three billion warships had been destroyed by the Neutron War Star.

It was precisely the deaths of those three billion warships that had bought these two years.

But in these two years, the research of Jason, Luka Three, and Number Five had made no progress.

“Master, I request that Lord Three and I conduct separate research. Our scientific philosophies are different, and working together will only hinder our progress.” Number Five said to Xiao Yu at this time.

“We will each follow our own ideas in our research and then periodically share data.”

“Yes, this is our mutual wish.” Luka Three said as well.

“Very well, I grant your request.” Xiao Yu said.

Then he turned his gaze toward Jason and asked with concern, “Jason, are you all right?”

The Jason standing before Xiao Yu now was completely different from the Jason of two years ago.

By the standards of the Divine Ark Civilization, he still belonged to the category of a young man. But now his hair was disheveled, his eyes were dull, his face was covered in wrinkles, and the way he walked was like that of an old man on the verge of death.

It was as if he had not heard Xiao Yu’s question. Only after Xiao Yu asked three times in a row did Jason suddenly jolt awake and answer in a hoarse voice, “Master, I am fine, I am fine.”

After answering Xiao Yu, Jason sank back into contemplation once more, not even hearing Xiao Yu announce the end of the meeting.

Watching these three, a formless sense of unease arose in Xiao Yu’s heart.

“I have less than seven years left. Only less than seven years…”