Earth Era

These hydrogen bombs used to implement space denial programs are absolutely different from hydrogen bombs in the traditional sense. They are not cylindrical with a pointed head. In fact, because they are too large, the internal machinery is too large. To be too precise, they had to be made very large - as big as a spaceship. So scientists simply made the hydrogen bombs directly into the shape of spacecraft and equipped them with power systems and navigation systems. When the mission begins, they will fly to the predetermined location under the control of the staff.

Zhao Lan saw such a hydrogen bomb that looked like a spaceship in the factory. The factory is located at the other end of the space elevator, inside the Earth Port. This hydrogen bomb was assembled in the Earth Port because it was too big and it was impossible to launch it from the Earth. It is about the same size as Zhao Lan's vehicle, the Sylvia spacecraft, but its mass is more than ten times that of the Sylvia spacecraft. Because many places inside the Sylvia spacecraft are empty and are used as living spaces and the like, the "Hydrogen Bomb One" spacecraft is mostly solid and filled with nuclear fusion fuel and various Various precision control machinery.

Zhao Lan led the scientists of the task team to inspect the Hydrogen Bomb No. 1 spacecraft in detail for several hours before finally signing his name on the inspection record. After that, the Hydrogen Bomb No. 1 spacecraft was launched, and it flew directly out of the Earth Port and slowly headed toward the deep space. At this time, Zhao Lan and his party also left the Earth Port and returned to the ground experimental observation base.

Yes, the Hydrogen Bomb No. 1 spacecraft will not be used to implement the space interdiction plan. In fact, it is just a test hydrogen bomb. It will explode in an open place in space, and then people will observe its explosion. The energy released determines whether the hydrogen bomb energy level is adequate. This is important because, after all, hydrogen bombs with such huge yields only exist in computational models and in the history of human civilization. People have never really built something this huge.

So on the third day after the delivery of the hydrogen bomb spacecraft No. 1, people in the Eastern Hemisphere suddenly discovered that it was dawn at about ten o'clock in the evening. A light far stronger than the sun was released from the eastern sky. The darkness of the entire land was instantly dispelled, allowing light to come to the world ahead of time. But this burst of light did not last long. It lasted only three seconds and then passed away quietly. Then the sky quickly returned to darkness. The stars were still stars, and the moon was still the moon. No changes occurred. This sudden and strange change simply made people begin to wonder if the light they had seen before was an illusion.

Zhao Lan didn't care how human society would react to this sudden light. He didn't care what reasons the public opinion department would use to explain this matter. Zhao Lan only knew that the latest hydrogen bomb passed the test perfectly. The data observed by the instrument told Zhao Lan that this kind of hydrogen bomb was fully capable of blocking space. , the task of preventing the earth from falling into the empty universe - of course, with the cooperation of the black hole.

Time is still passing quietly, and the time node in the calculation is getting closer and closer - as of now, there are only less than four months left. at this time. Zhao Lan went to the base again, and then Zhao Lan discovered that the area within dozens of kilometers around the base had completely changed. Flying cars were flying above snow-capped peaks not long ago. The next moment, there was a scene of birds singing and flowers fragrant. The green rush is like a paradise.

Large-scale construction some time ago completely killed all the vegetation living on the surface, but the plant seeds hidden in the soil and rocks will not be killed. With the support of heat provided by large-scale cooling equipment, those seeds mistakenly thought that warmth had returned to the earth, so they began to take root and sprout, and finally broke out of the ground.

The temperature here is high, rainfall is frequent, and the vegetation is lush. So the animals that originally hibernated did not enter a deep sleep but came to this place and began to thrive here.

The flying car landed in an open space, and Zhao Lan heard the chirping of birds from around him. And the faint roar of beasts. There is moist soil under your feet and lush green grass around you. Not far away is a flowing stream... everything is as beautiful as a picture.

Zhao Lan knew that all the nutrients that supported all this beautiful existence in this cold winter were stolen from the black hole body. A black hole can destroy everything, but if used properly, it can also nourish everything.

Black holes play the most important role in the evolution of galaxies. It is its huge gravity that allows stars and stardust to gather and galaxies to form. Without black holes there would be nothing. Even the extremely tiny black hole that currently exists in the base...its extremely huge radiation energy may be used as the driving force to drive the spacecraft forward in the future.

Scientists in the base have even done relevant research. Their final conclusion is that it is entirely possible to use a black hole as a power source for a spacecraft, because the black hole's radiation is continuous and gradually strengthens, while the black hole's mass gradually decreases. The reduction in the black hole's mass means that the overall mass of the spacecraft decreases, then the effect produced by a certain amount of energy will become greater and greater. If a black hole is really used as a spacecraft engine one day in the future, its acceleration mode will probably be like this:

In the initial stage, the black hole has a large mass and the radiation is relatively slow. At the same time, because the black hole is installed on the spacecraft, the total mass of the spacecraft must also be very large. Then the relatively slow radiation may only have a little effect, so the spacecraft can only advance at a very slow acceleration.

But as time goes by, the total mass of the black hole and the spacecraft gradually decreases, and the radiation rate continues to increase, so the acceleration obtained by the spacecraft becomes larger and larger.

The most important point is that the acceleration provided by a black hole is continuous. The lifespan of a black hole with a mass of one million tons is about thirteen years. In other words, this black hole can provide an endless supply of acceleration continuously for up to ten years. Three years of energy supply and acceleration.

Compared with simply carrying one million tons of fusion fuel, the most obvious advantage of carrying a black hole with a mass of one million tons is to save space. Obviously, the volume of a black hole is countless times smaller than the volume of one million tons of fusion fuel, which means that the spacecraft does not need to be built too large, or the spacecraft can save more space for other functions. use.

In addition, compared with conventional fusion engines, black hole engines have the advantages of safety and easy equipment manufacturing. The most important point is that the fuel is easy to obtain.

It is not easy to obtain fusion fuel in the empty universe. If you want to replenish fusion fuel in the universe, the spacecraft controller must risk approaching the gas giant planet, or venture out on the rocky planet surface to find water sources to decompose to obtain hydrogen, or risk capturing comets to obtain fuel. A black hole is different. Whether you encounter asteroids, comets, or even radioactive garbage, stardust, etc., as long as it is matter, it can be thrown into the black hole to extend its life and serve as fuel. In the most extreme cases, people can even The unnecessary hull of the spacecraft is dismantled and thrown into the black hole to serve as fuel. Compared with fusion fuel, the advantages of black hole engines are clear.

Scientists at the base even believe that black hole engines will be the only alternative for interstellar navigation. If one day human civilization hopes to step out of the solar system, explore alien stars such as Proxima Centauri or Ephemera, Sirius, and successfully return to the solar system within a few decades, the black hole engine may help people realize this wish.

But the most important point is...it is too difficult to make black holes. The existing technology of human civilization is not enough to create black holes. Li Yunfan didn't know where he got this only remaining black hole. He wanted to create black holes on a large scale to serve as an energy source... I don't know when the technology of human civilization will reach this level.

Listening to the sound of gurgling streams and chirping birds, Zhao Lan's thoughts drifted a little far. It wasn't until the communication equipment around him started to sound that Zhao Lan came back to his senses.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Lan asked.

Li Yunfan's voice came from the communication equipment: "Zhao Lan, this will be the last call between us. After this call, we will no longer be able to contact each other until I return to our universe."

Although he had known this result for a long time, when this moment finally arrived, Zhao Lan still felt a little disappointed. Zhao Lan said: "Oh... okay."

In the previous time, Zhao Lan had communicated too much with Li Yunfan. Every detail of the plan had been confirmed repeatedly, and all questions had been discussed in detail. Therefore, at this last moment, Zhao Lan did not know what to say. what.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Li Yunfan smiled, "After all, this may be the last time we talk on the phone in this life."

Zhao Lan was silent for a moment. The words "I'm waiting for you on Earth" kept coming, but he couldn't say them out. So Zhao Lan remained silent, and Li Yunfan smiled again and said: "Do you really have nothing to say? Then... ba ba... okay... ba ba..."

Before Li Yunfan finished speaking, the communication was disconnected. Zhao Lan felt a little relaxed and a little regretful, not knowing what it felt like.

"From now on, everything depends on us." Zhao Lan turned around and shrugged at An Liya and his group, "Your boss has completely lost contact with us." (To be continued~^~ )