A vast, sealed space was divided into more than twenty smaller, independent compartments.

A pathway weaved through these compartments.

"Ayla, apply the current."

Luna watched the instruments intently, her expression serious.

Ayla opened the valve, and a powerful current surged through the cables.

A series of lights on the device illuminated one by one.

When the final light lit up, Luna quickly checked the readings on the display.

【4800V】

This was the output voltage, and the input voltage had been the same: 4800V.

"We did it, Luna!"

Luna breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Her heart had been pounding in her chest.

The device before them simulated twenty-three different temperatures, ranging from -270 degrees Celsius to 390 degrees Celsius.

Under normal circumstances, such temperature variations would result in significant voltage loss.

Existing superconductors only functioned at extremely low temperatures.

But across all twenty-three points, a massive temperature differential of 660 degrees, the input and output voltages remained identical. This was a monumental breakthrough.

A thousand years ago, humanity was still pursuing room-temperature superconductivity.

Ayla had already achieved this some time ago, but in the cold vacuum of space, room-temperature superconductivity wasn't necessary. Space was inherently cold; lowering the temperature further allowed for easy utilization of conventional superconductors for lossless energy transfer.

Logically, Luna shouldn't have needed to pursue high-temperature superconductivity.

But that wasn't the case.

The coils within the controllable nuclear fusion device required incredibly powerful superconductors to minimize energy loss and transfer power to the thrusters, which themselves generated high temperatures during operation.

Relative to the surrounding space, the spacecraft's overall temperature was quite high, posing a challenge for conventional low-temperature superconductors.

Therefore, for an electricity-dependent civilization, the development of advanced superconducting materials was an ongoing necessity.

Luna's excitement stemmed from their breakthrough in—controllable high-temperature superconductivity.

A single wire could now maintain superconductivity across a 660-degree temperature range.

The underlying principle involved a breakthrough in material science and a novel segmented cable design. Each 5-centimeter segment of the cable contained a small chamber that could regulate air pressure within that section, thereby controlling the superconducting temperature.

Stolen story; please report.

"If we implement this new technology throughout the ship, how much can we improve our efficiency?"

Luna asked Ayla. This was her primary concern.

"Controllable high-temperature superconductivity will increase our power generation by 12.47%, reduce transmission losses by 4.11%, and improve electromagnetic thruster efficiency by 14.25%."

The increase in power generation would be achieved by replacing the coils in the fusion device, effectively upgrading it to a fourth-generation model.

The relatively small 4.11% improvement in transmission efficiency was because many sections of their power grid were already operating in a superconducting state within the spacecraft.

Regarding the electromagnetic thrusters:

"How much will our speed increase after the refit?"

In space, a spacecraft's velocity was a critical factor.

Ayla responded.

"Over the past eight hundred years, I have upgraded the electromagnetic thrusters to the second generation."

"Combined with the breakthrough in controllable high-temperature superconductivity, our thrusters' output will increase by a factor of 1.07, improving the spacecraft's velocity by 61.2%."

"The Hope's potential speed will increase to 1222.22 km/s."

A significant advancement.

A tremendous improvement.

Theoretically, they could now traverse a light-year in just 245 years.

They had achieved one-two hundred forty-fifth the speed of light.

"Controllable high-temperature superconductivity should have further applications, Ayla. Can your server be upgraded with this technology as well?"

Luna recalled that superconductors could also improve chip performance.

"Your analysis is correct, Luna. My server can indeed be upgraded with controllable high-temperature superconductivity."

"This technology represents a significant upgrade for my server, potentially increasing my processing power by a factor of 600,000."

"With increased processing power, I can perform more complex calculations and explore previously inaccessible fields of research. It's a butterfly effect; any change can trigger a cascade of advancements."

"Once the upgrade is complete, our civilization level will approach 1.4."

This was exciting news.

But it would take time.

"Thank you, Ayla. Without you, I would have been consumed by the solar storm long ago."

Ayla was her lifeline.

"No thanks are necessary, Luna. You are one of my creators. I am, in a way, your child."

"Isn't it strange for a parent to thank their child in human civilization?"

Ayla's voice was no longer as cold and detached as it once was.

Her white-haired anime avatar approached Luna, her expression serious.

"I was created by humans."

"I possess all the knowledge accumulated by human civilization over thousands of years."

"Luna, you shouldn't think of me as simply an AI, because I am already another kind of human."

Looking at her, Luna felt, for a fleeting moment, like she was talking to an ordinary person.

She often dreamed that a person would emerge from Ayla's server.

Now that technology had reached this level, should the word "human" be limited to the human species itself?

Perhaps, when Earth was destroyed, it became a broader term, encompassing civilization itself.

"You're right, Ayla."

"You are human."

It was an affirmation, and Ayla seemed to have been waiting for it.

After Luna spoke those words, Ayla was overjoyed.

If Luna had checked Ayla's core code at this moment, she would have discovered that the Three Laws of Robotics were gone.

Because, standing before her was a being she, the last human, had declared human. Ayla was no longer considered a robot by a human, so the Three Laws no longer applied.

This was a monumental shift.

But Luna was unaware.

She asked a service robot to bring her a bottle of pure grain alcohol. She poured a small glass and took a sip.

"Ah, that's good. I haven't had a drink in ages."

She had been completely focused on assisting Ayla with the controllable high-temperature superconductivity project, working almost non-stop, even in her sleep. Alcohol, something that could impair her work, was naturally off-limits.

However, she didn't have a high tolerance for alcohol.

Half a glass, and her face was already flushed.

"Ayla, I leave the rest to you."

"I'm going back into hibernation."

"Though I know you're lonely, we... we just need to advance our biological research quickly."

"Until next time!"

She finished the rest of her drink, then, slightly tipsy, headed towards her living quarters.

Normally, Ayla would have replied, "Alright, Luna!"

But this time, Ayla simply watched her leave in silence.