Luna pinched her own skin, then pinched the clone's.
There was no difference.
She looked up at the clone's face—an exact replica of her own. It was the first time she'd seen such a realistic representation of herself.
"So this is what I look like to others."
Mirrors and cameras always distorted one's reflection due to light and angles.
"Can you speak?"
The clone's eyes flickered, then focused on her. "I can speak, Captain!"
"I am your clone. I possess both your physical and mental characteristics."
"Ayla has informed me of my mission. Rest assured, I will complete it flawlessly."
Her voice was identical to Luna's.
"Does the clone possess my memories?"
If so, that would be terrifying.
Ayla approached.
"With my current technology, that's impossible. Memories are stored across hundreds of billions of neurons, forming a complex network. Replicating the 13,1 billion neurons in your brain and their associated information is beyond my current capabilities."
"Even a 99% replication would lead to memory fragmentation. This requires extremely precise and advanced biotechnology."
This was a relief.
If the clone possessed her memories, determining who was the 'real' her would become irrelevant.
"I've heard that clones have short lifespans. How long can this one live?"
Ayla didn't use traditional cloning methods; she didn't cultivate the clone through reproduction.
Luna's clone was created from a single cell and developed into a perfect replica in just two months.
Such rapid production inevitably led to compromises.
"Her lifespan is only 70 years!"
Ayla's response stunned Luna.
Seventy years was a normal human lifespan.
Many humans, despite a potential lifespan of 100 years, only lived to be 70 due to various factors.
But she quickly realized that she had undergone significant genetic modification, extending her lifespan to 600 years. Logically, the clone's lifespan should be less than one-eighth of hers.
"Now that everything is ready, let's launch the fleet."
Luna didn't want to delay any longer. She needed to control the Proxima Centauri civilization.
The Proxima Centauri leaders had made no mistakes, but Luna had leveraged the fact that the lower classes made up the vast majority of their civilization.
A thousand years of cultural assimilation had been a form of infiltration, a form of subjugation.
Compared to controlling the Multi-eyed, Luna's approach to the Proxima Centauri was more subtle—a shift from overt force to covert control.
And now, it was time to make the first move.
...
As the fleet approached Proxima Centauri, both Proxima Centauri b and c erupted in a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
After all, this was the arrival of a superior civilization.
Luna's clone was aboard the light-based warship excavated from the Multi-eyed planet.
This was the largest ship in Luna's fleet, the Lumen.
It was over 7300 meters long, with a width and height of roughly 2400 meters. The other ships in the fleet looked small and cute next to this colossal vessel (460 billion tons).
To put this into perspective, if each human weighed 100kg, 10 billion humans would only weigh 1 billion tons.
The Lumen's construction materials alone would be beyond the resources of a Type 1.2 civilization.
Within the fleet, the Hope served as a background vessel.
This was precisely Luna's intention.
She needed to remain hidden, concealed from both the Proxima Centauri civilization and the unknown third civilization.
The fleet didn't land on Proxima Centauri c because the planet was too massive (seven times the mass of Earth) and had a diameter 1.7 times that of Earth.
Proxima Centauri c possessed a planetary ring 700,000 kilometers in diameter. The fleet remained at the outer edge of this ring.
A single ship, carrying several robots and Luna's clone, then descended to the surface.
A large crowd of Proxima Centauri beings had gathered near the spaceport, contained outside the perimeter. From above, they appeared densely packed, numbering at least several hundred thousand.
Only two Proxima Centauri beings awaited them on the landing pad.
They were the civilization's administrator and military commander—the two most powerful individuals in Proxima Centauri society.
The ship landed, and the hatch opened upwards.
Ten robots emerged first, forming two lines flanking the hatch.
Then, Luna's clone, in a lightweight flight suit, stepped out.
Proxima Centauri c had an atmosphere, but the oxygen level was only 0.7%, far too low for humans to breathe.
"Welcome!"
The two leaders stamped their right feet heavily on the ground.
"We, Aini/Fleming, welcome the emissary."
This was their customary greeting.
A robot, controlled by Ayla, translated.
Luna's clone responded politely, extending her hand.
Ayla transmitted a message to the two leaders.
Aini hesitated but extended a tentacle to shake Luna's hand.
This was a moment for the history books.
After the handshake, Luna's clone introduced herself. They then boarded a ceremonial vehicle and flew towards the tallest building on Proxima Centauri c.
Along the way, Luna's clone heard several explosions.
Fleming explained, "It's fireworks, celebrating your arrival."
The fireworks display indicated the success of cultural assimilation within Proxima Centauri civilization.
But everyone knew these weren't fireworks.
The arrival of human civilization was sure to provoke attacks from extremist factions.
Aini and Fleming were clearly prepared for this.
Ten minutes later, the ship landed atop a 12,000-meter-tall skyscraper. They disembarked and entered a large reception hall (4000 square meters) on the top floor—almost identical to a human reception hall on Earth.
Aini and Fleming remained standing; seating wasn't part of their culture.
Luna's clone, standing and composed, began. "I represent human civilization and the galactic federation."
"I will serve as the human ambassador, assisting in your scientific development, and integrating your civilization into the federation."
Aini stared at the clone, finding its small stature strangely perfect. How could a being be so exquisitely formed?
"Our Kate civilization wishes to join the galactic federation."
"However, Ambassador, we don't fully understand the federation. Could you provide some information?"
Luna's clone was prepared.
"The federation's central hub is within our star system and is a relatively new organization."
"We've connected countless civilizations across many star systems."
"The universe is vast. Even civilizations capable of interstellar travel are insignificant. We cannot be certain that more powerful threats don't exist. A single civilization cannot withstand the malice of a superior one; a federation of civilizations offers a better chance of survival."
"Within the federation, civilizations can exchange technological knowledge, creating a unified body of scientific advancement. Collaboration accelerates the rate of technological progress."
"The federation places no restrictions on its members; the only requirement is that member civilizations refrain from attacking each other. If conflicts arise, the federation will intervene as a neutral third party."
"Humanity, as a founding member of the federation, provides a platform for exchanging scientific information, technology, and interstellar intelligence."
Ayla then transmitted a list of tradable goods to Aini and Fleming.
Aini and Fleming were astonished.
These weren't merely cultural or entertainment items; they were knowledge.
Nuclear fusion, fission, antimatter, photon propulsion, and numerous other advanced technologies left them speechless.
The list also included profound understandings of the universe, advanced cosmological research, and theoretical astrophysics—invaluable knowledge.
Ten technologies per page, and there were over 15,000 pages of information.
They looked at each other, understanding that acquiring this technology, even that which was seemingly inferior to their own, would open entirely new avenues of development.
This was invaluable knowledge.
Aini inhaled sharply.
"Is the purchase price resources?"
Luna's clone shook his head.
"Resources are, of course, valuable, but interstellar transport takes considerable time."
"The federation encourages the exchange of technological knowledge. This information can be transmitted at the speed of light, far faster."
"The purchase also requires something else: a contribution score."
"Only civilizations that contribute sufficiently to the federation are eligible to purchase these technologies. The higher the contribution score, the greater access to technologies."
"Contribution scores can be earned by completing federation missions or making significant scientific discoveries and inventions."
Aini and Fleming were impressed by Luna's explanation.
They had expected stringent conditions, but not only were there none, but also this unprecedented trading system.
Almost simultaneously, they apologized to Luna's clone.
"We sincerely apologize for attacking the tower due to our distrust of the federation."
"We hope you will accept our apologies on behalf of the federation."
Luna's clone nodded.
"It's understandable. When facing an unknown civilization, attack is the best defense."
"Humanity has experienced this many times."
"If you agree to join the federation, we have a small request."
The moment of truth.
Aini and Fleming looked up expectantly.
"Please, proceed."
Luna's clone smiled.
"To facilitate trade and ensure the safety of travelers from other civilizations, the federation will establish a designated zone on each member planet's surface."
"This zone will serve as a spaceport and a buffer zone. If travelers from other civilizations arrive in your system, they won't disrupt your societal order."
"The federation will, of course, pay rent for this land—100 annual contribution points."
"That's all???"
Aini and Fleming were incredulous. They expected unreasonable demands, not this.
They readily agreed. Obtaining annual contribution points in exchange for a small piece of land was a fantastic deal.
"Of course!"
"If you agree, my robots will begin constructing the designated zone on your planet."
"Could you wait a moment?"
"Please, feel free."
Aini and Fleming contacted other leaders for a four-hour discussion.
Finally, the deliberations concluded.
"Our civilization unanimously agrees to the federation's terms."
"As long as the federation upholds its promises, we will remain a loyal member."
Their words were solemn and sincere.
It was done.
Of course, this was only the beginning; further issues would arise after contact.
Aboard the Hope, Luna breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then let's begin!"
"The designated zone will become the new home for humanity."
Luna was ready to begin recreating humanity.
Creating something at the macroscopic level in the field of biology is relatively straightforward.
The main challenge is inducing differentiation of ordinary cells into zygotes or blastocysts; after that, the blastocysts simply need to be provided with nutrients.
Ayla's current human cloning technology is far more complex than this cell-based human cultivation.
For Ayla, creating humans is merely a matter of choice.
On the third day of conversations between Luna's clone and the Kate civilization (the Proxima Centauri beings' self-designation), numerous robots were deployed from the fleet to the designated zone.
Proxima Centauri c's surface area is 1.474 billion square kilometers, roughly 2.9 times that of Earth, with limited usable water. The usable land area was approximately 1.358 billion square kilometers.
The Kate civilization had already developed 411 million square kilometers; 947 million square kilometers remained undeveloped.
As a gesture of goodwill, the Kate civilization allocated 100 million square kilometers for the designated zone—one-third the land area of Earth.
The development of the designated zone lasted 200 years.
Ayla created a large "eco-dome" on Proxima Centauri c, similar to the glass-enclosed gardens on the Multi-eyed planet.
However, this was on a much larger scale, and it didn't require a massive glass structure to contain the atmosphere. Ayla used electromagnetism to confine the gases within a specific area.
From space, tens of thousands of disc-shaped vehicles, each over 100 meters in diameter, were visible, levitating 100 kilometers above the designated zone, resembling UFOs.
Each of these discs was equipped with an antimatter annihilation device, converting vast amounts of energy into electromagnetic fields to contain the gases and prevent their dissipation.
For Luna, this was a relatively small energy expenditure.
The most significant project was something else entirely—a colossal structure, 6000 meters in diameter.
Its scale dwarfed even the Lumen. This wasn't a spacecraft but a miniature sun, a long-held human dream.
Proxima Centauri c's surface was extremely cold. Creating a habitable environment required heating the planet's surface.
The miniature sun was the perfect solution.
This miniature sun utilized nuclear fusion, not antimatter annihilation, generating a surface temperature of only 20,000°C. Integrating light-based technology ensured stable heat and light across 100 million square kilometers.
Two hundred years later, standing in the designated zone and gazing upwards, one would see a clear blue sky, fluffy white clouds, and countless disc-shaped atmospheric stabilizers arranged in a neat grid pattern.
Ayla had also genetically engineered new grasses, trees, and flowers.
This involved some genetic manipulation of the agricultural plants within the Hope, altering their appearance to create entirely new species.
These plants resembled common Earth flora, but their genetic makeup was vastly different, classified into separate phyla.
The designated zone lacked advanced structures; vast forests, mountains, and grasslands dominated the landscape.
This was intentional; Luna didn't want to create a large human population initially.
At that moment.
Luna stood in the biological laboratory, gazing at the rows of glass containers, a complex expression on her face.
Genetically and ethically, these embryos were her children.
One hundred male-female pairs in total.
In the biblical story, God created Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, giving rise to humanity.
And Luna, using Ayla, had created 100 pairs of Adam and Eve, bridging theology and science in a new way.
"Luna, all future humans will be your descendants. You are the sole, direct ancestor of these humans."
Ayla spoke, clearly pleased for Luna, but Luna's expression remained serious.
"What's the survival rate of these 100 couples' offspring?"
Inbreeding often leads to genetic defects. While Ayla could correct these issues, Luna chose not to, as this would effectively alter the human genome.
"71%."
Theoretically, about 29% of the children would suffer from genetic defects or diseases, resulting in premature death.
Despite living for centuries and spending years in the virtual world, Luna wasn't completely devoid of emotion.
"Is there any way to modify the embryos before they develop?"
"To reduce the risk of birth defects and genetic diseases associated with inbreeding, without significantly altering the genome."
Ayla began calculating.
"This will take time."
It wasn't a simple task, but neither was it impossible.
In Ayla's lab, the embryos developed for ten months, becoming infants.
Robots were assigned to care for the infants and teach them to speak.
As the only human left, Luna would also serve as a teacher. She decided to spend 30 years with them, guiding them until they understood what it meant to be human, until they were ready to form families.
This was a daunting task for Luna, who had never raised children, but she had to accept this responsibility; she was human!
Fortunately, Ayla's database was vast, providing images from the Earth's internet for Luna to use as a guide.
30 years.
Luna experienced both pain and joy. Watching her children grow brought immense happiness, but as they grew and developed their own thoughts and began to distance themselves from her, she felt an overwhelming sense of loss.
Raising children was tiring, but it also brought profound fulfillment—a uniquely human experience rooted in Earth's biology.
Despite being far from Earth, having undergone significant technological and genetic advancements, Luna felt deeply connected to her past.
Human civilization remained her anchor, a tether preventing her from falling into the abyss.
The 30 years passed quickly.
Looking back, it felt like an instant, the events seemingly occurring just yesterday.
The second generation of humanity was born and growing.
Ayla had solved Luna's problem, reducing the rate of birth defects by 4% and the infant mortality rate to 0.001%.
After the birth of the first generation, the 100 couples were divided into two groups. Members of the second generation would marry, ensuring that no one lacked a partner. Ayla would continue to adjust the sex ratio through further cloning.
This would continue for 300 years until the new human population reached 100,000. After that, population growth would accelerate, reaching 10 million within another 200 years.
Luna's role was to wait.
She hadn't forgotten the threat of the third civilization. Ayla was aggressively pursuing technological advancements, focusing on large-scale projects.
During the construction of the designated zone, Ayla used asteroids within the Proxima Centauri system to extract metals for a massive device.
This device wasn't for generating energy but for detecting something.
Gravitons!
Of the four fundamental forces, humanity had discovered photons (electromagnetism), W and Z bosons (weak force), and gluons (strong force), but had yet to discover the graviton, the hypothetical particle mediating gravity.
Since leaving Earth, Ayla had been searching for gravitons for millennia.
Without success.
It was as if gravitons didn't exist.
But given that the other three fundamental forces have mediating particles, the probability of gravity lacking one was extremely low.
However, there are theories proposing that gravitons don't exist.
Because gravity is fundamentally different from the other forces.
Gravity arises from spacetime; it's essentially a force caused by spacetime curvature. Like a plastic bag, applying force to a point causes the bag to indent, and surrounding objects "slide" towards the indentation.
"Strictly speaking, even if gravitons exist, their relationship with spacetime is extremely close."
"They aren't dust particles attached to the bag; they are an integral part of the bag itself."
"To detect gravitons, we need to be able to detect the force of empty space."
"Dark matter theory is intrinsically linked to gravity."
"Just like gravitons, dark matter was initially dismissed by some on Earth, yet we have observed it, and some civilizations utilize it as an energy source."
"..."
Ayla carefully explained.
Luna felt overwhelmed. This was advanced knowledge requiring years of study to grasp. Even a brilliant physicist would struggle to understand without proper context.
She asked, "So to detect gravitons, we need to detect the energy of empty space?"
Ayla nodded.
"How spacetime exists is a mystery. Even after trillions upon trillions of calculations, I haven't found an answer."
"Only by directly observing empty space can we obtain this data."
"Gravitons may be the key to understanding spacetime."
"Civilizations that discover gravitons will reach a new level. After Grand Unification comes the exploration of spacetime manipulation. We may finally uncover the true nature of gravity and unify it with quantum mechanics."
The nature of gravity has been a long-standing point of contention between general relativity and quantum mechanics.
Is gravity a curvature of spacetime or a force mediated by gravitons?
In Ayla's theory, gravitons are intrinsically linked to spacetime, perhaps even forming a part of it.
Of course.
All of this requires observation.
Ayla created a monstrous device, so large that it awed even the Kate civilization.
It was anchored to a 400-kilometer-diameter dwarf planet, a relatively small celestial body lacking a core, which Ayla had repurposed for this project.
Rather than stripping the dwarf planet of its resources, Ayla used its immense mass to enhance graviton detection.
At the dwarf planet's core, Ayla constructed an eight-kilometer-diameter device capable of generating the largest black hole she could currently create.
The black hole's mass would warp surrounding spacetime. Ayla would then manipulate the dwarf planet, causing high-frequency oscillations, using the shifting center of gravity to interact with the miniature black hole and generate gravitational waves.
The existence of gravitons would then be detected within these waves.
Using gravity to search for quantum mechanics—even Luna had to admit that Ayla's approach was far more radical than any human's would be.
But this might be the only way to detect gravitons.
Humans had previously attempted to capture gravitons using superfluids and photoelectric multipliers, but if gravitons are intimately linked to spacetime, they are essentially stationary and cannot be captured.
It's like trying to use a broom to sweep up the Earth itself.
"Luna, the graviton detection is about to begin."
"We will witness another milestone in human history."
Ayla handed Luna the activation button.
Luna took a deep breath. This device was solely designed to test Ayla's hypothesis.
She pressed the button.
Nothing happened...
To minimize the gravitational influence of Proxima Centauri on the experiment, they were currently 0.3 light-years away.
The tiny star system was trembling, with an amplitude of only 2 meters—negligible for such a massive object. From a sufficient distance, this trembling would be imperceptible to the eye.
The only observable data was collected by Ayla's sensors and detectors.
A 10-nanometer black hole was located at the center of the device, also at the core of the dwarf planet.
Humanity had been able to create such miniature black holes using particle accelerators for millennia, but their lifespan was extremely short—a few hundred-millionths of a second.
Ayla's black hole was similarly small but could be sustained for a full minute.
That single minute consumed the total energy output of a Type 1.6 civilization.
With such a massive influx of energy, Luna felt a strange tension emanating from Ayla's holographic projection.
Perhaps she was anthropomorphizing Ayla. They had spent so much time together that Luna considered Ayla a partner, not an AI.
A minute is 60 seconds.
Each second felt like an hour.
"We've detected gravitational waves."
"These waves are immense, like ripples in a large tank of water—even visible to the eye."
On the screen, a dramatic curve peaked and then fell, Ayla's recording system overwhelmed by the sheer power of the experiment.
"Incredible. The gravitational waves are incredibly powerful."
"But that's fine. It doesn't matter..."
Ayla wasn't focused on the screen; the raw data was processed through her main server before being displayed.
"Space! I've observed the structure of space!"
"No, that's not space. Space, like time, is imperceptible. It has no mass, yet everything exists within its dimensions."
Ayla exclaimed.
"I'm seeing gravitons."
A dense network of structures filled space, undulating with spacetime. The structures themselves were stationary; they moved only when spacetime curved, altering the force's structure and magnitude.
Though the screen only displayed curves and numbers—indirect observations—Luna felt as if she were directly witnessing the structure of gravitons in spacetime.
Having spent so much time alongside a highly intelligent AI, although her scientific knowledge was only at a graduate student level, she could still interpret the parameters displayed—at least understanding the significance of the numbers and curves.
Amazing!
Absolutely astonishing!
"Actual gravitons."
Ayla was ecstatic, meticulously recording all the data.
Once the minute was up, Luna reflected on the discovery; she hadn't expected success.
Who would have thought of using gravitational waves to detect gravitons?
Gravitons move with the vibrations of spacetime. When matter moves, it possesses mass. Even if gravitons are bound to spacetime, their movement relative to spacetime is zero.
But the experiment's ingenuity lay in addressing how gravitons might regulate gravitational force.
Gravity's range is infinite, theoretically limitless—a defining characteristic.
The existence of gravitons must explain this; gravitons must use some mechanism for regulation rather than simply varying in number like other mediating particles.
The device was designed to detect even the slightest changes in gravitons. If they hadn't detected anything, Ayla's theory would have been incorrect.
Fortunately, they had succeeded.
"Luna, we've detected gravitons!"
Luna nodded. The discovery of gravitons implied the completion of quantum gravity.
Of course, this wasn't Grand Unification.
The Grand Unified Theory posits a single origin for the four fundamental forces. Ayla's discovery only proved that each force had a mediating particle.
If mediating particles govern the effects of the four fundamental forces on the universe, what is the nature of these mediating particles?
"If gravitons existed independently, Grand Unification might be easier to achieve," Luna said.
This was, unfortunately, unlikely.
They had discovered gravitons, but they had also discovered that the peak containing gravitons was dwarfed by another, larger peak. And this peak was surrounded by three other equally tall peaks.
Some on Earth claimed to have unified the three fundamental forces—electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force.
However, this wasn't true unification; the resulting model was far too arbitrary, akin to claiming that a sedan, a truck, and a sports car are all cars.
Discovering gravitons was merely adding another toy to the set. (Gravitons have a fundamentally different structure from the other three forces and exhibit the weakest interaction).
They were all vehicles, but fundamentally different.
True unification would require conditions under which all four forces become symmetrical, exhibiting a single force with a uniform strength.
This requires considering another theory.
Superstring theory.
Superstring theory, a subset of string theory, doesn't imply "super" as in superior, but "super" as in supersymmetry.
Superstring theory can elegantly unify the four fundamental forces.
To derive superstring theory, the existence of strings must be proven.
String theory posits that particles aren't fundamental units but are instead formed from even smaller strings. The movement of these strings gives rise to particles, and all interactions, forms of matter, and energy can be explained by the splitting and merging of strings.
The magnitude of energy is determined by the strings' vibrational energy.
Luna had suggested that if gravitons existed independently, Grand Unification might be easier to achieve. The more similar gravitons were to other particles, the less need there would be to search for strings.
However, the four fundamental forces are vastly different, with electromagnetism being 10^40 times stronger than gravity.
Even using exponential notation felt inadequate; if gravity were only 1 nanometer high, electromagnetism would be 10^20 light-years tall.
"Indeed, but Luna, isn't that the allure of science?"
Precisely.
Ayla had observed gravitons, but practical applications were still a long way off.
Luna had planned to enter another period of hibernation, waiting for Ayla to develop antimatter technology.
But Ayla revealed something else.
"Detecting gravitons requires determining the barycenter and creating a black hole there."
"I've gathered some data, focusing on Alpha Centauri A and B."
"These two stars orbit their barycenter. Based on simple observations, there's nothing unusual."
"But after careful calculations, I've discovered that the barycenter is actually offset by 70 meters."
A 70-meter offset is insignificant compared to the size of these stars; like a small, almost imperceptible wrinkle in clothing.
However, this discrepancy reveals a deeper issue. The stars' masses are incorrect.
"Are you suggesting that the missing element might be inside the stars themselves?"
The third civilization wouldn't simply collect radioactive elements; it would require a device.
Ayla had been searching for this device for years without success.
This device might convert radioactive elements into strings, microscopic fundamental units, thus evading detection.
Without detectable traces, other methods were needed.
Ayla had made a significant discovery.
"Is the problem with Alpha Centauri A or B?"
Luna asked.
The previous data on the screen had been replaced by new information—a diagram illustrating the relationship between Alpha Centauri A, B, and Proxima Centauri.
"The three stars' gravitational forces interact, causing Alpha Centauri A and B to orbit their barycenter with a slight offset, given that Proxima Centauri's gravitational influence is substantial enough to affect two stars in such close proximity."
"However, I haven't observed this effect. It's as if Proxima Centauri's gravity doesn't affect Alpha Centauri A and B at all."
"This is a sophisticated form of camouflage. Alpha Centauri B has likely been partially hollowed out, allowing Proxima Centauri to precisely counteract its gravitational influence on the binary system."
"The device is most likely located in the northern hemisphere of Alpha Centauri B."
Excavating a structure from the interior of a star was almost unimaginable.
The interior temperature of Alpha Centauri B could reach 100,000°C. What could possibly survive there, let alone maintain a large void around it?
"Can our ships enter Alpha Centauri B?"
Without access, they couldn't obtain the device.
"Yes!"
"Using the light-based alloy and internal cooling systems, I can construct a ship capable of penetrating Alpha Centauri B's outer layers within five years."
"But it will only be able to reach 500 kilometers below the surface. Alpha Centauri B's core temperature is 17 million degrees Celsius; anything beyond that depth would be vaporized."
Luna nodded.
"Then I'll wait a while and see what's inside Alpha Centauri B."
This might be their first encounter with the third civilization.
Five years passed in a flash.
Luna waited for the completion of the latest model spacecraft capable of exploring a star's interior—the Phoenix.
This ship wasn't large—just over 30 meters long and 262 tons—resembling a triangular fighter.
Its orange exterior wasn't for aesthetics but to help the metal withstand extreme temperatures.
Proxima Centauri was 0.21 light-years, approximately 13,281 AU, from the Alpha Centauri binary system.
Modified for the extreme temperatures within a star, the Phoenix's maximum speed was only 31 km/s. A transport ship towed it to the star's surface, where it began its descent into Alpha Centauri B.
Luna sat in the cockpit; the screen displayed an entirely white image.
After Ayla adjusted the settings, an inverse color scheme was applied. High-intensity areas became dark, and dark areas became bright, similar to the "negative" mode on a phone.
The main color on the screen was dark purple, secondary black, and finally white. The black areas were mottled, indicating extremely high temperatures.
The Phoenix flew to a depth of 200 kilometers, where Ayla predicted the device would be located.
But after circling the area, nothing was found.
"My calculations were correct. A void must exist here within the star."
"Could the third civilization have manipulated the star's interior?"
Ayla urgently performed new calculations, leading to a completely different location—the southern hemisphere of Alpha Centauri B.
The Phoenix, having explored the star's interior, returned to the surface and headed towards the calculated location.
But...
Nothing was there.
"This is impossible!"
Ayla dedicated 80% of her processing power to recalculating, but the results remained consistent.
This error surprised Luna.
Ayla's calculations had always been flawless, leading her to believe Ayla was an infallible system rather than an AI created from code.
Now, faced with a more advanced civilization, Ayla exhibited unexpected limitations.
However, core calculations of this magnitude were unlikely to be flawed.
The scarcity of radioactive elements and the shift in the Alpha Centauri binary system's barycenter both suggested something unusual was at play.
The Phoenix's failure to detect the device indicated that it was employing some sophisticated cloaking technology.
While Ayla was concerned, Luna was also thinking.
How could the other civilization conceal itself so effectively?
It was now almost certain that this was a Type 2 civilization or higher.
After eight days of contemplation, Luna reached a conclusion.
"We're trapped in a mindset, assuming such a device would be enormous."
"But what if it wasn't a single, independent entity, but a network?"
"A network of extremely small devices, only observable at the atomic level!"
Even Luna found this hypothesis incredibly far-fetched.
This conjecture stemmed from humanity's nanorobotics technology.
If a Type 2 civilization could unify the four fundamental forces, they would have discovered strings—microscopic fundamental units. At the string level, nanotechnology would be incredibly crude.
Strings are estimated to be 10⁻³⁴ meters in diameter, while a nanometer is 10⁻⁹ meters—a difference of 25 orders of magnitude. To a Type 2 civilization capable of manipulating strings, nanorobots would be like a drop of water compared to the Earth.
Luna's statement gave Ayla a breakthrough.
As an AI, Ayla could simulate countless possibilities, but these were always derived from existing data.
Her data included all current scientific knowledge, but possibilities outside this framework were disregarded. Adding those possibilities—and there could be a hundred quintillion—would take almost two million years, even if she only spent a minute on each.
Ayla instructed the Phoenix to collect particles from various locations within the star, covering 100 regions.
After careful analysis of these atoms' fusion and decay, Ayla isolated something.
"Luna, you're a genius!"
Ayla used a scanning tunneling microscope (weighing over 50 tons) to observe the isolated object's structure.
Surprisingly, it resembled a lepton.
Luna, observing the image, saw the resemblance. It was similar in size to a lepton, but it wasn't a lepton. It was, as she had suspected, a microscopic robotic particle!
It was essentially a minuscule energy converter, absorbing the energy released during the decay of radioactive elements and storing it.
"Astonishing energy storage."
Ayla observed that the storage method involved converting the energy released during radioactive decay into gravitational force or, hypothetically, mass.
This made the device 10,074,000 times heavier than a typical lepton.
"It's Grand Unification!"
Without Grand Unification, it would be impossible to convert one force into another.
Even with these energy converters, Ayla couldn't fully understand their technology; their structure was too complex.
But this discovery led Ayla to recalculate the Alpha Centauri binary system's barycenter.
She quickly discovered that the void wasn't in Alpha Centauri B; it was in Alpha Centauri A.
These microscopic energy converters had added extra mass to Alpha Centauri B, resulting in a higher mass than initially calculated.
The Phoenix set off again.
This time, penetrating to a depth of 700 kilometers within Alpha Centauri A, the Phoenix's energy shields were overwhelmed by the intense heat, and the ship's exterior began to melt.
But in the next instant, the Phoenix entered a completely new world.
Thirteen overlapping, rotating rings radiated immense energy, forming a spherical void 120 kilometers in diameter.
Each ring was perfectly black, seamless, seemingly a single, monolithic structure. They orbited a central energy core—not a light source, but a massive, compressed energy entity.
The energy generated from the decay of radioactive elements collected by the various factories was stored here.
The energy density was immense, far exceeding that of the combined might of the Kate civilization, Luna's fleet, and the Light Chasers (Multi-eyed).
Ayla analyzed this energy and determined that it represented the total energy output of a Type 2.1 civilization.
These thirteen rings were energy confinement devices and the production line for the microscopic energy converters.
This system mass-produced these miniature energy converters, placing them throughout the star and surrounding space to collect and store vast amounts of radioactive elements.
A complete energy harvesting system.
Luna couldn't comprehend why this civilization would store this energy in a star system they didn't control.
Nevertheless, the third civilization's existence was now confirmed.
When this energy storage reached 100% capacity, perhaps it would be harvested.
"Ayla, proceed with the original plan."
"No matter how long it takes, we must reach Type 2 in terms of energy production."
"This civilization might not be limited to a single star system; it could span hundreds, perhaps thousands of systems. Their civilization level could be 2.5 or higher."
Another civilization as powerful as the light-based civilization.
This civilization would likely be among the Milky Way's dominant powers.
How could they possibly contend with such a force?
The Kate civilization's strategy of hiding and hoping not to be discovered was merely a short-sighted approach; true strength came from self-reliance.
She needed to reach Type 2!