September 2032 – Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
Deep underground, on the seventh floor of the Japan Aerospace Self-Defense Force's Space Science Research Institute, located near the reactor that had melted down 21 years ago, Ashiwara Soryu stood before a new high-output Higgs particle accelerator and muttered to himself.
"We've finally come this far."
As the head of the Third Advanced Technology Development Division and the director of this research facility, Soryu had been working with JAXA to unravel the mysteries of the Higgs mechanism, which began with the discovery of the Higgs particle two decades ago.
Matter has mass.
For humans living in the 21st century, this is a fundamental truth. However, understanding why and how matter possesses mass only began to take shape in the latter half of the 20th century.
The turning point in mass research came in 1999 when Dr. Yang Li of Peking University published the "Theory of Passive Interference Breaking Special Symmetry." It had been predicted since the 1960s that the universe is filled with a Higgs field composed of Higgs particles, which interact with matter to give it mass. However, Dr. Yang's theory suggested the possibility of artificially breaking the symmetry of Higgs particles themselves. In 2012, the Higgs particle was discovered, and based on Dr. Yang's theory, it was confirmed that the mechanism by which Higgs particles interact with matter could be artificially manipulated.
This Higgs particle accelerator is an enormous facility combining four synchrotrons, four linear accelerators, and a central Higgs particle accelerator. The building itself is constructed in the shape of the accelerator, resembling a Nazca-like pattern when viewed from above. In the early 2020s, a joint development proposal with the EU and the United States was considered, but due to the military potential of Higgs particles, the collaboration faced resistance. After the U.S. withdrew, the EU followed suit, leaving Japan to pursue the research independently.
Rumors suggest that the U.S. is also conducting secret research and may begin operations within the year.
Military potential.
This is why the Self-Defense Force is involved in the research.
If this experiment succeeds, it is predicted that humanity will gain the ability to manipulate the mass of matter freely.
The goal of this experiment is to create two micro black holes within the central Higgs particle accelerator. These two micro black holes will share an orbit, balancing each other's gravitational pull and centrifugal force as they accelerate. At the center of their rotation, a powerful repulsive force will be generated, and if it exceeds a critical threshold, a naked singularity will appear. The immense energy radiating from this singularity will be slowed by the ergosphere formed outside the rotating black holes' orbit, allowing it to be harnessed as usable energy.
The energy that can be extracted here is virtually infinite. Furthermore, by increasing the rotation speed of the black holes, a Tannhäuser Gate will form around the repulsive singularity. By expanding this gate to envelop a spacecraft, faster-than-light travel—warping—becomes possible.
※The Tannhäuser Gate refers to a special gate that transcends space-time, as mentioned in the 1982 sci-fi film Blade Runner. In the 21st century, it is used as a general term for gates enabling warp travel.
Additionally, by eliminating the interaction between the Higgs field and matter, the mass of matter can be reduced to nearly zero. Without mass, even a small force can accelerate matter significantly.
This Higgs particle accelerator experiment is a dream experiment that could revolutionize human history.
However, every coin has two sides. Advanced scientific technology always carries military potential.
Depending on how it is used, this technology could create weapons far more terrifying than nuclear bombs. In fact, it might even be possible to artificially create black holes capable of swallowing the Earth or the entire solar system. This is a technology that could bring about the end of the world.
In Japan, the research is officially for space exploration. The involvement of the Aerospace Self-Defense Force is justified as a means to reduce the cost of launching reconnaissance satellites by combining the Higgs particle accelerator with a mass driver. However, the real expectations lie in the development of high-performance railguns, supergravity weapons, and various other military applications. In the long term, the construction of faster-than-light space battleships is also within reach. With infinite energy, anything becomes possible.
"On schedule, commencing the 28th and final acceleration experiment. All researchers, please begin preparations."
The calm, clear voice of a female operator echoed through the speakers.
"Primary synchrotron activation commencing. 3, 2, 1, activated. Proceeding to secondary synchrotron activation."
The four synchrotrons activated one after another. Inside the synchrotrons, protons were accelerated to 99.9999999999999% the speed of light. The accelerated protons were then introduced into the linear accelerators connected to the synchrotrons, further accelerating as they moved toward the central Higgs particle accelerator. The protons, carrying an immense energy of 10^16 electron volts, were further accelerated within the Higgs particle accelerator. The proton beams, converging from four directions, collided at the center. The relative speed at this point was approximately twice the speed of light, releasing energy comparable to the Big Bang in an instant. This high-density energy was expected to disrupt the Higgs mechanism, tearing away the chains of mass from matter.
"Soryu, how's it looking?"
A voice came from the speaker in front of him. It belonged to Ryōji Asuka, a JAXA researcher and the leader of this experiment, stationed at the primary synchrotron research building 30 kilometers away.
"Yeah, it's going smoothly. Once the protons are sent from the synchrotron, the micro black holes should form. We're one step closer to our dream."
"Our dream."
Asuka had been Soryu's friend since elementary school. As a child, Asuka had lost his entire family in an accident and was placed in an orphanage. Though intelligent, he was introverted and often bullied.
Soryu was his only friend.
Soryu stood up for Asuka, and though they were bullied together, having each other made it bearable. Over time, they became rivals who pushed each other to excel.
As a child, Soryu was passionate about soccer. He made it to the national championships in elementary school but lost in the finals, leaving him in tears. He continued to play as a central figure in junior youth and youth teams, even competing in national tournaments. As an adult, his opportunities to play soccer decreased, but he formed a team with his Self-Defense Force colleagues and participated in amateur leagues.
The introverted Asuka found solace in music. Unable to afford his own instruments, he practiced relentlessly after school using the school's equipment. For him, music was the only way to express his feelings.
The two consistently ranked first and second in their class. Asuka graduated at the top of his class from the University of Tokyo, with Soryu coming in second. Soryu joined the Self-Defense Force, while Asuka entered JAXA.
They shared a common dream: to one day build a faster-than-light spacecraft and explore worlds no one had ever seen. As children, it was an innocent dream. In their teens, it was dismissed as a phase. Now, that dream was on the verge of becoming reality.
"Synchrotron acceleration complete. 3, 2, 1, target speed reached. Launch confirmed. Proton collision detected in the Higgs particle accelerator. Entering planned trajectory. Commencing secondary acceleration. 600 seconds to target speed."
In less than 10 minutes, micro black holes would form within the central Higgs particle accelerator. A dream humanity had envisioned in science fiction for over a century was about to take its first step toward reality. The moment the graph on the display flipped, it would confirm the creation of the black holes. Staring at the graph, Soryu felt his heart racing.
"What?!"
Soryu exclaimed in shock as he looked at the graph, while the slightly panicked voice of the female operator echoed.
"Target speed reached. Black hole formation confirmed."
The staff erupted in cheers. Humanity had finally taken a new step forward.
However, Soryu hurriedly began reviewing the experiment's data. Was there an anomaly somewhere? The display clearly showed the graph indicating black hole formation. On the surface, the experiment appeared successful. But the timing was off by 200 seconds—meaning the acceleration might have been greater than planned. Alternatively, could it be a malfunction in the instruments, and the black holes hadn't actually formed?
"Accelerator not decelerating. Black holes maintaining state. Energy levels increasing."
If black hole formation was confirmed, the deceleration program should activate immediately, stopping the accelerator. But it wasn't stopping.
"This is dangerous."
Soryu didn't know what was happening, but something was wrong. If a critical malfunction prevented the deceleration program from activating, it could lead to a catastrophic accident.
"Emergency shutdown!"
Soryu shouted and slammed his fist onto the emergency shutdown button on the control panel. The transparent plastic cover shattered, and the red button beneath was pressed hard.
"Shutdown signal confirmed. Shutdown failed! Energy levels still increasing."
The female operator's voice was strained.
The room, which had been celebrating the experiment's success moments ago, was now in chaos as staff rushed to identify the issue.
"No good! The shutdown signal is being sent, but the accelerator isn't responding."
Every second felt agonizing. The energy inside the accelerator continued to grow, and the black holes were expanding.
"Damn it! It's going to go critical!"
Someone among the staff shouted.
If it went critical, the research facility would be destroyed at the very least. At worst, a massive supergravity disaster could threaten the survival of humanity.
The emergency shutdown wasn't working. A 0.1-second delay in judgment could lead to irreversible consequences.
"Sound the emergency alarm! All staff, evacuate to the shelters!"
"B-but that won't stop the accelerator!"
"Purge the accelerator."
"!!"
Everyone in the room fell silent and turned to look at Soryu.
"Purging the accelerator."
Doing so would likely stop (destroy) the accelerator with minimal damage. However, purging required detonating explosive bolts embedded directly into the accelerator. The switch for this was located about 400 meters away, 50 meters from the accelerator. The switch was protected by three meters of concrete and one meter of lead plating. But given the accelerator's current state, purging it would release the immense energy inside, obliterating the room—and anyone in it.
"We have no choice but to purge the accelerator. Sound the alarm. Everyone, evacuate to the shelters. That's an order. Besides, I'm faster than anyone here."
"B-but, Director..."
"Every second counts. Everyone, execute the order now! And even if you make it to the shelters, there's no guarantee you'll survive. Don't worry about it."
With that, Soryu began running toward the accelerator.
"By the way, can someone dispose of my PC? Like, submerge it in a bathtub while it's still on. I think there was an anime or light novel like that."
Running at full speed, he recalled an anime he'd seen long ago. Even though he was about to die, this was all he could think of. Maybe it was his inner otaku coming to light.
The emergency alarm blared as he sprinted down the hallway and entered the accelerator control room. Aside from the alarm, the room was eerily quiet. It was hard to believe the accelerator was on the verge of going critical. Soryu entered the purge passcode and waited for the cylindrical switch housing to rise from the floor. The 30-centimeter cylinder took about 10 seconds to emerge, but it felt like an eternity.
The cylinder stopped at 90 centimeters, and its cover opened, revealing the button to purge the accelerator.
Without hesitation, Soryu pressed the button.
"Strange. I can't picture anyone's face."
Despite facing death, he felt oddly detached. The moment he pressed the button, his vision went dark, and he lost consciousness.