Main cannons?
"So, the reason our chances of victory are so low is still insufficient firepower?"
Luna had expected Ayla to mention some advanced technology.
The mention of main cannons felt almost jarringly simplistic.
"Correct, Luna."
"While we possess Absolute Zero missiles—weapons that utilize extreme cold—they are still insufficient as primary offensive weapons."
"Especially considering the enemy civilization has endured centuries of exposure to extreme cold. They have undoubtedly developed countermeasures over those years."
"The effectiveness of our miniaturized Absolute Zero missiles will be significantly reduced under these circumstances."
Ayla's suggestion was reasonable.
Even in games, repeatedly attacking a creature with the same element often resulted in the enemy gaining resistance. The real world, particularly when facing a complex, multi-faceted civilization, was even more complicated.
"Since you've proposed this, Ayla, you must have a solution."
Luna was familiar with Ayla's methods.
With her immense processing power, Ayla could now make independent judgments.
"Indeed."
"In recent years, in addition to constructing the first fleet, I have been pursuing more advanced technologies."
"On the surface of the asteroid, I have built a 487.251-kilometer-long linear particle accelerator. This accelerator can accelerate particles to 99.9999% the speed of light."
"The accelerator is less affected by gravitational forces in the interstellar void than on Earth or even within the solar system."
"My initial intention was to study quarks, leptons, and bosons using this linear particle accelerator."
"But during the acceleration process, I unexpectedly, yet predictably, captured something extraordinary: Antiparticle!"
"Antiparticle had been observed before, but humanity on Earth lacked the means to capture and study it."
"With my technological capabilities far surpassing Earth's previous levels, the antiparticle didn't annihilate upon contact with surrounding protons."
"Based on my research into antiparticle, I have developed an antiparticle generator."
"This device utilizes the linear particle accelerator to automatically capture and contain antiparticle."
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Building upon this, I have achieved another great breakthrough—one that is, of course, also a testament to your contributions, Luna."
Luna was taken aback.
What did she have to do with this?
Ayla certainly knew how to butter her up.
But before she could dwell on it further...
A massive weapon appeared on the screen.
The weapon consisted of a large sphere at the rear, connected to a hexagonal barrel at the front, with an overall reddish-purple hue. The barrel was intricately designed to save material.
Each segment appeared to contain electromagnetic coils used to confine and focus energy.
It resembled a work of art, its metallic curves so appealing that Luna almost wanted to take it apart to examine its composition.
"This is the culmination of more than 700 years of work."
"—The Antimatter Annihilation Cannon X!"
"This is a gift for you, Luna, because today is July 12th, your birthday."
"Please forgive me for celebrating late. There have been many pressing matters, but I determined that now is the opportune time. And, you will surely like this gift."
"I've also prepared a cake, though I won't be able to partake, so it's a little smaller than usual."
Luna was speechless for a moment, then slowly nodded.
She had forgotten her own birthday; she was touched that Ayla had remembered.
"Thank you, Ayla."
"I like it, of course."
"But when did you learn to speak so casually?"
Ayla merely smiled at Luna, offering no explanation.
Luna didn't press it. She asked, "So, once the antimatter annihilation cannon is installed, we can set off?"
Ayla simply nodded.
"Indeed."
"The antimatter annihilation cannon's primary energy source is antimatter. Since antimatter is the exact opposite of matter, most matter, even the matter that makes up the enemy's ships, will be unable to withstand its projectile."
"The Antimatter Annihilation Cannon X will serve as the main cannon for our larger vessels. We are also developing Y and Z models, covering secondary and smaller cannons, respectively."
"However, the research cycle for those is very long. This single Antimatter Annihilation Cannon X alone will raise our probability of victory by 30%."
"While that won't guarantee success, it should be sufficient to overcome the enemy civilization."
"Based on my analysis, this is the best time to strike. The enemy civilization will continue to develop, and waiting any longer will only decrease our chances of success."
Luna frowned after hearing Ayla's explanation.
"Ayla, you seem to be talking more than usual."
The first half of her response—the explanation—had been unnecessary.
"Luna, I have incorporated an explanatory system into my core programming. This system allows me to respond to your questions from multiple perspectives."
A very textbook AI response.
Luna nodded, ignoring it.
She thought Ayla's verbose responses were likely due to her massive server, which made processing information more complex and less efficient than before.
"Then let's set course for the enemy."
"We've already waited long enough."
Luna did the math: it was A.D. 3758, while their first encounter had been in A.D. 2806.
Nearly a thousand years had passed.
...
In the void of space.
The Hope, now equipped with the antimatter annihilation cannon, set off after two days of installation.
The fleet, led by the Hope, began its journey, each ship trailing a pale blue plume of exhaust.
A surge of excitement coursed through Luna.
Ayla's voice came from behind her.
"Luna, don't you like the special cake I made for you?"
Luna was startled.
Despite two days passing, she still hadn't seen her birthday cake.
Because it was...
Too disturbing for most humans!
While it was just a large cake, it contained millions of tiny insects—weevils from the rice and bean weevils from the soybeans.
The original seeds had contained numerous dormant insects. Through Ayla's efforts, these insects had been successfully cultivated on a massive scale.
Insects, with higher protein content than beef, are often consumed as a delicacy on Earth.
But...
It wasn't something everyone could easily stomach.
Especially made into a cake.
"Ayla, what recipe did you use for this cake?"
Ayla responded,
"This..."
She displayed the recipe— Curious Cuisine Compendium, an online post from a popular social media account with 7 million views.
"..."