Although Hawke could not know how this material was made, Hawke could know how strong it was by observation and by projection.
It was a strength that could not be destroyed within Hawke's theoretical system. Theoretical systems are not the same as real life applications. The fact that it could not be found within the theoretical system meant that even if Hawke's technology developed for another thousand or ten thousand years, as long as there was no breakthrough in the basic physical theory, it would be impossible for Hawke to destroy it.
"Could it be that, this time, we are really going to die?" Hawke thought with sadness.
The killing of Hawke's ship by the water droplets continued. Thirty minutes later, Hawke's fleet stationed at ε Eri c, a total of more than four thousand ships, was completely destroyed.
All that remained were the countless wrecks floating in space, around the ε Eri system. Occasionally, flashes of light, tiny explosions, etc., would erupt from the wreckage. Hawk knew that they were from parts that had not been stripped of all their circuitry.
The droplet, still intact, still possessed a hundred per cent albedo, and an appearance unstained by dust or scars.
It rushed towards ε Eri c.
In the ε Eri c planetary system, Hawke had placed weapons systems on a total of three moons. Together, these three moons formed Hawke's first line of defence.
"Destroying a ground structure is not much more complicated than destroying a ship, destroying a ground structure, what does it want to do?"
Seeing the water droplets move like this, a little doubt arose in Hawke's mind.
But the next moment, Hawke's doubt, turned into shock.
Since the arrival of this water droplet, it had given Hawke numerous shocks, but Hawke could guarantee that this one was definitely the most shocking one.
Two of these three moons had an atmosphere. This meant that the craft would be severely hindered by flying over the surface of the satellite. However, Hawk saw that after this water droplet flew into the surface of the satellite, it did not generate any heat during the friction with the atmosphere.
"How can this be? How can this be? Friction generates heat, this is common sense, I don't believe it, it can defy the most basic laws of physics!" Hawke thought with shock, "The only explanation is that immediately after generating heat, it is neutralised by its own low temperature, which is why it does not show the basic characteristics of frictional heat generation on the outside."
"But, but, what does that mean! It means that its surface temperature, is infinitely close to absolute zero, and that it has a system for maintaining low temperatures beyond my imagination, which, how is this possible?"
Absolute zero, which is about two hundred and seventy-three and a half degrees below zero, is the lowest temperature in all physical theory. Because the temperature of matter depends on the movement of the molecules and atoms that make up that matter, and at absolute zero, the molecules and atoms have stopped moving, it is impossible for a temperature lower than absolute zero to exist within the existing system of theories.
However, in the midst of a movement that would generate high temperatures like rushing into the atmosphere at high speed, this water droplet did not even show any characteristics of high temperatures, which meant that ... this water droplet had an energy supply system beyond Hawke's imagination. This basically shattered Hawke's idea of using up the other side's energy and then destroying it.
This water droplet, has brought Hawke too much shock. For the first time, Hawke perceived the deep sense of powerlessness that came with the technological gap.
The water droplet crossed the atmosphere, and then it hit one of the energy cannons Hawke had placed on top of the satellite.
The energy cannon was instantly destroyed, and then, after destroying it, the drop stopped moving violently the moment it touched the ground and immediately flew high up towards the other side of the satellite, destroying the other energy cannon three seconds later.
"I have more advanced observation systems on the satellite base! Before it destroys the first line of defence, I must resolve its basic physical structure!"
Hawke was determined to find out whether the droplet, or not, was built of materials constructed by strong interaction forces before it completely destroyed the first line of defence.
The first satellite's observation instruments operated for only thirty-two seconds before the droplet destroyed them.
The droplet then left the satellite and flew towards another satellite. This time, the water droplet penetrated directly through the surface of the satellite, crossed it and flew out the other side of the satellite.
This satellite, was completely penetrated by the water droplet.
The powerful kinetic energy directly caused the geological activity of the satellite to fall into an extremely unstable state, and an extremely severe earthquake and volcanic movement occurred on top of the satellite, so that all the weapons ... that Hawke had placed on top of the satellite were all destroyed!
But before all the instruments on the satellite were destroyed, Hawke's observation instruments were operational for another sixty-seven seconds!
The third satellite in the first line of defence met the same fate.
This time, Hawke's observation instruments ran for a full one hundred and thirty-six seconds.
The shadow of despair in Hawke's heart grew thicker as he watched the water droplet wreak its almost miraculous power.
By this point, the first line of defence, along with the four thousand or so ships, had all been destroyed.
"The plan to plunge them into a state of powerlessness by draining their energy, abandoned." Hawke silently concluded.
The reason was simple, if the other side did not have an adequate supply of energy, then it could not have committed such an act that seemed to Hawke to be bordering on a waste of energy.
So what was ... this for?
"Is it teasing me?" Hawke mused, "It's deliberately trying to terrify me, to make me desperate? But does a roving space probe have the mind of such an almost intelligent being? Could it be that ... it is actually under the direct manipulation of some intelligent being?"
"I already know that mechanical civilizations are unwelcome in the universe, so, what is it that makes a civilization that has mastered superb technology refuse to destroy me outright, but tease me instead?"
"One possibility, venting anger, the other, a whim. These two speculations account for ninety percent of the possibilities, with the possibility of venting anger accounting for sixty percent of the possibilities."
Hawke silently analysed the situation and came to a conclusion in his mind.
This speculation was very informative for Hawke to deduce the social structure of this so-called Guardian Alliance.
"Let's put that aside for now." Hawke thought, "If we can't solve the current crisis, even if we fully grasp the other side's social structure, what's the point?"
By this time, the droplet, having left the first line of defence, was rushing towards the second line of defence with ε Eri b as its core.
Hawke also came to a conclusion through the observation instruments arranged above the first line of defence.
"It ... is indeed constructed with strong interaction forces ah ... how, how can such a perverted material exist? Well, I've got a way to destroy it."
Hawke came to this conclusion full of despair. Because, the way to destroy this water droplet only existed in Hawke's physical theory system, to achieve it, there was no telling how many years it would take.
That would be for ... to break its atomic dense state instantly through an ultra-high energy level. Even if it is only to break the fixed state of one atom. As soon as the fixed state of one atom is broken, the strongly interacting materials that make up this water droplet, will have a chain reaction and the whole probe will be completely destroyed.
Just like a piece of glass, a little bit gets damaged and the whole piece of glass shatters.
The material that makes up the water droplet is somewhat similar to neutron star matter, but only just. It is many orders of magnitude inferior to neutron star matter.
Just by destroying one of its atoms in its fixed state, the entire water droplet could be destroyed.
But ... even the hundreds of millions of degrees of heat of a large yield hydrogen bomb explosion could not do this, and ten energy weapons fired in unison could not do this, so what else could Hawke do?
The water droplets rushed towards the second line of defence at a very high speed. It was expected to be at the second line of defence in twenty minutes.
And within the second line of defence was the Large Particle Collider of the Ring ε Eri system.
"Wait ... wait! I've got an idea!" The moment he remembered the Large Particle Collider, Hawk was struck by a sudden flash of light. For, Hawke thought of a possible way to destroy the water droplet.
If only one atom of the droplet could be destroyed, its entire shell material would undergo a chain reaction and thus be completely disintegrated.
And destroying even just one of its atoms would require an extremely high energy level. The unit energy level of a large-yield hydrogen bomb is currently known to be insufficient. Nor is the unit energy level of an energy cannon sufficient.
Not enough energy level means that Hawk cannot destroy even one atom of the other side.
But the ... ring ε Eri Large Particle Collider can reach such energy levels! It can reach an energy level that destroys one atom of the other side!
You know, at the moment of the collision of two protons, the energy level of the Large Particle Collider of the Ring ε Eri Galaxy could reach even one femtosecond after the Big Bang!
If such an energy level were no longer sufficient, Hawke could not imagine that there was any other matter in the universe that could reach it. One could say that within a unit area like a proton, the Large Particle Collider of the Ring ε Eri galaxy could reach energy levels no worse than a neutron star collision!
"This is a feasible scenario!" Having plotted this scenario, Hawke was immediately excited.
"It's worth a try! It's just that I have a lot of preparation to do before we can test it."
"Second line of defence, all ships, space-based turrets, land-based turrets, concealed turrets, controlled mines, activate them all! Do all you can to keep it stranded beyond the second line of defence. The collider must not be destroyed! Ring Epsilon Eri Large Particle Collider, activate! Enter preparation phase!"