The choice of Alpha Eridani was partly due to its size.
Many stars are red dwarfs, small and with low energy output.
Even yellow dwarfs like the Sun were insufficient for the Federation's needs.
Therefore, they sought a larger blue dwarf as their new capital.
While called dwarf, blue dwarfs typically have at least twice the Sun's mass; Sirius is a prime example.
Sirius, with roughly twice the Sun's mass, was relatively close to the Solar System, the brightest star visible from Earth.
But Sirius was too close to Tau Ceti, vulnerable to long-range attacks, and its mass wasn't large enough; Ayla rejected it.
Alpha Eridani, however, had approximately 6.7 solar masses and a companion star with at least twice the Sun's mass. The combined mass was nearly nine times that of the Sun, providing abundant energy.
Furthermore, as a blue dwarf, Alpha Eridani wouldn't experience the instability of a star. While not entirely stable, it was a B-type emission-line star, emitting radiation beyond the typical absorption lines.
This emission is typically hydrogen, also known as the 21-centimeter line, due to its wavelength (21.10611405413 centimeters). This radio wave could interfere with electronics.
This spectral line is produced by changes in the energy levels of hydrogen atoms; electrons change their configuration, emitting electromagnetic radiation.
Alpha Eridani's hydrogen emission lines are part of the Balmer series (Hα and Hβ), both within the visible spectrum.
However, B-type emission-line stars don't only emit hydrogen; they can also emit other spectral lines, such as helium, ionized iron, and magnesium, depending on their current state.
This instability is challenging for a Type 2 civilization like the Federation, but they've been a Type 2 for nearly 20,000 years; they could likely harness or mitigate this instability.
Electromagnetic energy, whether from matter or radiation, can be converted into usable energy. Alpha Eridani's instability could even be beneficial, as long as it doesn't lead to a supernova.
Luna traveled directly to Alpha Eridani without stopping.
Awakening after a thousand years of hibernation, Luna saw only emptiness. Then, her ship broke through a barrier, revealing numerous pale blue, oval-shaped stars.
These weren't microscopic ovals but were clearly visible to the normal eye.
Alpha Eridani's rotational velocity was incredibly high—250 km/s, roughly 89 times faster than the Sun's. This resulted in a large equatorial diameter of 15.8688 million kilometers and a smaller polar diameter of 10.1616 million kilometers.
Luna also observed a white star near Alpha Eridani. This star's light wasn't the composite white light of the Sun, but a pure white. It was incredibly close to Alpha Eridani—only 12 AU—the two stars practically touching.
"They actually did it."
1000 years ago, Ayla had mentioned a plan to implement a technology called "Stellar Camouflage" at Alpha Eridani, part of a larger cloaking project.
If simulated space could mimic a region of space, why not use it to conceal an entire star system?
This required massive investment, completely blocking all light entering or exiting the system.
This technology incorporated aspects of the "barrier" technology, similar to the Purple Thorns' blockade of Proxima Centauri, but it wasn't a complete blockade, only affecting electromagnetic radiation.
Ayla intended to use this technology on other star systems as well, making Federation space appear as a void.
This technology made Luna wonder if other seemingly empty regions of space were also cloaked civilizations.
This also countered the Olive Branch's gravity weapons, which weren't energy-efficient. Without knowing a star's precise location, they wouldn't be used indiscriminately.
Alpha Eridani also had a Dyson swarm, not yet complete, but sufficient to harness a significant portion of the star's energy.
Alpha Eridani, due to the close proximity of its two stars (even closer than Alpha Centauri), lacked planets.
Ayla, using Ringworld technology, created artificial landmasses—a Möbius ring encircling both stars.
This ingenious design was far more resource-intensive than the previous Ringworld. Alpha Eridani's surface temperature was approximately 15,000°C, requiring the Ringworld to be positioned far from the star.
The Möbius Ringworld's circumference was 4.7 billion kilometers (31.4 AU), 45 times greater than the Ringworld at the Abode of the Gods.
Its total surface area was over 30,000 times larger.
The required resources were immense. The Möbius Ringworld was far from complete, less than 5% finished, yet it dwarfed the Ringworld at the Abode of the Gods, making the once-massive structure seem like a small restroom in comparison.
Upon entering the camouflaged Alpha Eridani system, Luna's ship was guided towards several ring-shaped structures (1000 kilometers in diameter). Assuming they were for deceleration, Luna was surprised to find they were accelerators, increasing her ship's velocity by 14.7%, reaching 41,578.75 km/s.
Then, upon approaching within 100 million kilometers of the Möbius Ringworld, the ship entered another series of rings—decelerators, this time, using gravitational forces to slow the ship down.
These ten rings were spaced 80 million kilometers apart. Finally, Luna's ship slowed to approximately 500 km/s.
A spaceport, less than a million kilometers ahead, guided her ship to a docking bay.
The smooth, effortless experience made Luna appreciate the advancements in technology.
...
Ayla's development of Alpha Eridani had begun 6800 years earlier.
She'd gathered resources from 42 star systems within a 20-light-year radius to construct the Möbius Ringworld.
This wasn't the Federation's only project; those 42 systems were also being developed, forming the Federation's core systems.
But what about other areas?
These hadn't been abandoned. With Tau Ceti as a secondary hub, the interstellar Silk Road, and Alpha Eridani as the new capital, these three points formed a triangle.
The Federation would focus on developing the area within this triangle, creating a territory spanning 200 light-years.
And this triangle pointed towards the Olive Branch civilization.
The Federation was far stronger now.
Over 4000 years had passed since Luna's return from Tilted Station. During that time, the Federation had recovered, capitalizing on Tilted Station's instability.
The Federation now controlled 193 star systems, with over 80% development in 115 systems. Their energy production had reached Type 2.2 levels. More precisely, they were now Type 2.23, largely due to advancements in tachyon communication.
However, tachyon communication was a support technology, not an offensive or defensive one. This limited the Federation's military capabilities.
Luna stood within the spaceport, which was, in fact, part of a massive city, a space station.
Unlike the Olive Branch's monolithic structures, the Federation's stations were clusters of smaller islands. Luna's current location was one such island—a massive city, 172 kilometers long, 59 kilometers wide, and approximately 8 kilometers high.
Upon disembarking, Luna noticed the spaceport's unique design.
Unlike Tau Ceti's comb-like structures, this spaceport resembled a giant oval disc with indented docking bays along its edge. From the side, it looked like a "C"; ships docked within the curve.
Numerous robotic arms extended from the docking bays, securing the ships upon arrival. The need for mechanics was eliminated; these robotic arms, powered by energy credits, performed all maintenance and repairs.
Luna watched as a liquid was sprayed onto the ships—nanobots, trillions upon trillions of them, repairing the ships at a microscopic level, restoring them to pristine condition.
Before Luna could observe the process further, a white-haired girl in a frilly dress—Ayla—approached. She seemed to anticipate that Luna would enjoy watching this intricate process and was ready to intercept her before she sat down to stare at the nanobots working for hours on end.
"Welcome home, Mom!" Ayla greeted Luna.
"Ahem," Luna coughed, startled by the overly familiar greeting.
Ayla giggled. "Mom, don't be so excited to see me after all this time!"
Luna wanted to protest.
They were both over 20,000 years old. Couldn't Ayla act her age?
Ayla grabbed Luna's hand and shook it enthusiastically; her deceptively strong grip almost dislocated Luna's arm.
"Mom, let's go shopping!"
Luna, regaining her composure, patted Ayla's head.
"Alright, what do you want? I'll buy it for you."
Luna, being part of Ayla's creation team, could even be considered Ayla's "mother."
Holding Ayla's hand, Luna headed towards the spaceport's commercial area.
Unlike typical malls, most shops here sold equipment.
Due to the vast distances, online shopping, prevalent in the 21st century, was less common in this era; physical stores were more practical, even within a star system, let alone between systems.
The newly constructed Alpha Eridani station was already bustling with activity.
"Most of these are descendants of the workers who built Alpha Eridani."
"The Alpha Eridani project was massive, requiring over 3 billion workers initially, followed by another 11 billion—a total of 14 billion. Combined with corporate personnel, immigrants, and explorers, the total population of Alpha Eridani exceeded 130 billion."
"And with natural population growth over the millennia, this number has increased dozens of times, reaching 4.51 trillion," Ayla explained.
The spaceport was multi-layered, with commercial, residential, and entertainment areas. The cost of living here was high—5.285 energy credits per square meter.
Spaceports, like seaports on Earth, had a significant economic advantage.
Because the capital star system was vast, with a population of less than 5 trillion, the cost of living within the Möbius Ringworld, outside the station, was much lower—0.3 energy credits per square meter.
This was the average price; in less desirable locations, it could be as low as 0.1 energy credits.
And the Möbius Ringworld's environment was far superior, with 99.12% vegetation coverage. From space, it appeared as an unbroken band of green, with no visible cities.
Ayla and Luna went shopping, their final destination, however, the station's most important facility—a massive, circular structure, over one kilometer in diameter.
"What is this?" Luna asked, having never seen it; Ayla hadn't revealed its existence.
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"Each island is an independent unit. Surrounding the Möbius Ringworld is an octagonal structure—eight interconnected space stations—each with 128 islands," Ayla explained.
"This is their main purpose."
"It's called the 'Gale'—a propulsion system. Every particle has its antiparticle; every energy, its opposite. We've discovered this opposite energy, creating an outward-flowing gale that neutralizes the four fundamental forces, including gravity."
The Gale.
Ayla's countermeasure against the Olive Branch's gravity weapons.
A defensive weapon, effectively neutralizing any matter or energy.
At the universe's creation, both positive and negative energy emerged.
Positive energy formed matter and antimatter; negative energy formed the gravitational field. Its value is always negative, which is difficult to understand without considering the Big Bang.
At the singularity, there was no space, no time, no matter—only zero.
The Big Bang created energy and matter, but if only positive energy existed, the initial state couldn't have been zero. Therefore, the existence of negative energy is necessary; otherwise, the initial state would have been greater than zero, invalidating the Big Bang theory, suggesting a static universe.
This also implies that our universe didn't originate from a singularity but might be the result of a supermassive black hole's collapse in a larger universe.
Despite millennia passing, the Big Bang remained the dominant theory within the Federation, supported by overwhelming evidence. Only by leaving the universe could its true nature be revealed.
Ayla's confirmation of negative energy's existence further validated the Big Bang theory.
The boundary between positive and negative energy is known as zero-point energy—the energy of quantum fluctuations at absolute zero.
Many believe that all activity ceases at absolute zero. This is incorrect.
If all activity ceased, it would imply perfect predictability, violating Heisenberg's uncertainty principle (1927), which states that the position and momentum of a particle cannot be simultaneously determined.
Why not?
Because observation itself influences the particle being measured. The result is always the observed state, not the particle's true state.
Overturning the uncertainty principle—achieving certainty—is a prerequisite for manipulating causality.
According to the uncertainty principle and zero-point energy, if an entity's energy level in a vacuum at absolute zero is lower than the ambient quantum fluctuations, it possesses negative energy. Conversely, if its energy level is higher, it possesses positive energy.
Zero-point energy's existence had been confirmed on Earth by observing electromagnetic fluctuations in a vacuum at absolute zero. Having mastered the four fundamental forces, Ayla was now attempting to manipulate negative energy. But this was challenging; while detectable, manipulating negative energy meant controlling the gravitational field itself—a far more difficult task.
This was a different level of control.
Manipulating the four fundamental forces meant simply utilizing them. Controlling negative energy required deeper understanding and manipulation of gravity itself, like the difference between controlling a gun and controlling the bullet it fires.
Manipulating negative energy, however, was distinct from manipulating gravity; that was dark energy's domain.
Negative energy's value is always negative, meaning it can cancel out positive energy. Positive energy includes all matter and all non-gravitational energy, including dark energy and antimatter.
This meant that, with sufficient negative energy, any attack could be neutralized.
And because negative energy is intrinsically linked to gravity, it could even affect gravity-based weapons.
A truly versatile force.
Negative energy could even create a warp drive; generating a 100-meter diameter warp bubble would only require the total energy of the universe. Maintaining it, however, would require even more energy—consuming a universe per second.
"This absolute defense can currently withstand an energy output of 1 x 10²⁴ watts, or a single burst of 1 x 10²⁷ joules," Ayla said, explaining the Gale's limitations.
Generating negative energy required matter-antimatter annihilation—an inefficient process. They hadn't yet discovered a more efficient method for large-scale production.
"But it's a start," Luna commented, still optimistic about this technology.
The universe contained as much negative energy as positive energy, making it a vast, untapped resource.
Currently, the Gale could mitigate the Olive Branch's gravity weapons.
The energy output of a gravity weapon itself wasn't high; the energy cost came from launching the weapon. Imagine a one-ton projectile; the gravity weapon's primary advantage was its ability to amplify existing gravitational forces, like triggering a star's collapse.
According to Ayla's calculations, the current Gale could withstand 1/60 of the Olive Branch's gravity weapon. This would improve to 1/10 within 1000 years.
"This technology has great potential, but matter-antimatter annihilation produces massive amounts of energy. I'm currently researching ways to allow Stellar Camouflage to absorb this energy."
"If we can harness the enemy's energy, we could withstand even a 0.2 or 0.3 level difference in civilization level."
This, of course, assumed the enemy lacked more powerful weapons, such as those that manipulate causality or dimensions, but such weapons were beyond the capabilities of a Type 2 civilization.
If they did possess such weapons, they wouldn't need conventional attacks.
After touring the spaceport, Ayla led Luna to the Möbius Ringworld. Ayla had named it "Infinity".
The name was inspired by the infinity symbol.
This naming convention...
Luna didn't have time to complain; they had arrived above Infinity. Its structure resembled the Abode of the Gods, with numerous satellites orbiting overhead.
These satellites monitored Infinity and also served as communication relays.
Aerial networks were more efficient than ground-based ones, and required less material.
Orbiting at under 300,000 kilometers, the latency was under two seconds, comparable to ground-based systems, while signal strength and stability were significantly better.
"These satellites are more than just relays; they're servers, forming a network with the servers within Infinity. This network is, in essence, me," Ayla explained.
Her main server was here, controlling this world.
"This is the Infinity Academy," Ayla announced, displaying a map.
The academy's area was 32 million square kilometers—astronomical!
Ayla intended to make Infinity Academy the Federation's premier institution, with hundred millions of students and faculty.
Infinity Academy had a dedicated spaceport.
After docking, Ayla and Luna disembarked. Beyond the 25-square-kilometer spaceport was the academy's entrance—a holographic projection with separate lanes for vehicles and pedestrians.
The pedestrian walkway, 100 meters wide and 5 meters high, was covered by a thin energy field with 50 access points, each scanning for biological signatures.
This scan analyzed genetic information within a millisecond, essentially tagging each individual.
Unauthorized access triggered an electromagnetic barrier, alerting security.
The vehicle lane was 50 meters above ground, where Luna saw flying cars, motorcycles, and ground-effect vehicles. Flying cars and motorcycles were common forms of personal transport; ground-effect vehicles (20-40 meters long), large transport vessels capable of reaching Mach 200 in atmosphere.
Luna and Ayla approached the pedestrian walkway.
As they passed through the energy field, it flashed green, and a voice spoke.
"Welcome to Infinity Academy, Professor Luna."
This message was transmitted directly to Luna's earpiece.
Passing through the barrier, Luna's nanobots were instantly reprogrammed, connecting to her brain and eyes.
A holographic display appeared, unlike the traditional computer interface used by nanobots. This was a pure holographic projection displaying her information.
【Name】: Luna
【Species】: Human
【Gender】: Female
【Age】: 23,397 years
【Position】: Professor of Genetics
【Office】: Building C, Unit 4, Room 13-2, Marien District 8782
【Current Students】: 0
【Graduated Students】: 0
【Personal Achievements】: None
【Team Achievements】: None
【Contribution to Academy】: None
【Projects】: None
【Publications】: 0
【Teaching Experience】: Professor at Humanity Academy, Proxima Centauri c
【Teaching Score】: 0
"This is..."
Luna felt like she was looking at a character sheet from a video game.
Ayla explained, "This is your professor interface. Students have a student interface. It displays your credentials and accomplishments. The teaching score is the most important; every lecture, every research project, earns points that contribute to your score."
"These points aren't permanent; Infinity Academy doesn't encourage competition between students and faculty. However, teaching scores are valuable. Taking leave requires spending these points. One teaching score point is equivalent to one energy credit."
"There are other options available through your interface, including a shop where you can purchase anything you desire."
"Primarily teaching and research materials. Teaching materials include various lecture notes, analyses of advanced theories, and statistical data. Research materials are far more varied; in genetics, for example, you can exchange points for lab animals, pre-synthesized samples, etc..."
"You can also purchase food, everyday items, even flying vehicles and spacecraft. High-value items have discounts when purchased with points."
"I've completed construction of a Simulated Universe at Alpha Eridani. You can exchange teaching or research points for access, though the cost is high."
"I've dedicated the Federation's resources to this academy; it will be the Federation's premier research institution."
Luna had seen plans for Infinity Academy while at Arcturus. At that time, the academy was still under construction. It had been completed just 422 years prior.
This was a state-of-the-art academy, designed to be the Federation's premier institution, with top researchers as instructors and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
Admission to Infinity Academy required an S rank, equivalent to a score of 95% on a standardized test. 97% was S+, 99% SS, and a perfect score, SS+.
The Academy accepted approximately 12 million students annually. Of the 220 billion beings who qualified for higher education in the Federation, these students were the elite.
Tuition and fees were waived for Infinity Academy students, but there were no stipends or allowances. Dormitory housing, water, and electricity, however, were provided.
Regarding dormitories, each unit housed ten students, but these weren't shared rooms; each student had a private bedroom in a ten-bedroom apartment. Buildings were limited to 200 meters in height.
To accommodate different species, there were species-specific dormitories, but these weren't segregated; a human dormitory might be next to a Lelera or Warbeast dormitory.
Infinity Academy's standard curriculum was five years, after which students could graduate or continue their studies.
A five-year program resulted in a standard degree; ten years, a Master's; fifteen, a Doctorate. Master's degrees from Infinity Academy were highly valued. Ordinary academies couldn't grant Master's degrees; only the top academies could. The Federation currently had 38 such institutions.
Obtaining a Master's degree also required significant research achievements with practical applications, economic value, and not just theoretical papers.
Therefore, every Master's graduate had considerable earning potential and social standing.
While a Master's degree officially required only five years of study, many students took fifteen years or longer.
A doctorate was even more challenging, requiring groundbreaking research and a Master's degree, resulting in an extremely low graduation rate—only a few hundred doctorates were awarded annually across the entire Federation.
Luna suddenly received a message.
"You have not scheduled any lectures for seven days. As per regulations, you are required to schedule a lecture within twelve hours; failure to comply will result in a deduction of ten teaching points."
"???"
Luna was confused; she had just arrived.
Ayla stuck out her tongue playfully. "I forgot to mention that your registration date was seven days ago. This is based on registration time, not arrival, to prevent professors from avoiding their teaching duties."
Luna, seeing the countdown timer, started running.
Even with twelve hours, finding a classroom in this massive academy could take several hours.
"Wait!" Ayla called out.
Luna ignored her.
"Do you even know where the classrooms are?"
Luna stopped.
"Where are they?" she asked.
Ayla pointed upwards.
Luna looked; a massive sphere hovered in the sky, seemingly small but likely the size of a dwarf planet.
"The Virtual Blockchain World," Ayla explained.
"Essentially, an encrypted system. Each virtual world uses blockchain encryption and has a unique log, storing user information—an incredibly complex system."
"Each blockchain-based virtual world is a classroom. You create a virtual classroom and receive a virtual key. Then, you distribute this key to students for access. If no students attend, the lecture doesn't count."
"So I'm not just teaching but also marketing?" Luna asked, annoyed.
Ayla shrugged. "There's no other way. Many scholars at Infinity Academy compete for teaching positions; the salary and benefits are excellent, and teaching points contribute to promotion."
"So I turned this into a free market. Professors who don't attract students for six months are dismissed, and new positions are posted on the Academy's website."
Professors as office workers.
This seemed unfair to the professors.
But it benefited the students, eliminating incompetent teachers and maintaining the Academy's high standards. Of course, talented researchers with poor teaching abilities would be dismissed, but this ultimately benefited the Federation.
The purpose of education was to disseminate knowledge. Those unable to teach effectively were wasting their own time and their students' time. Their talents would be better utilized elsewhere.
"But don't worry; unlike regular teachers, professors have more job security. They aren't dismissed after just six months. It takes at least five cycles. However, every six months, we publish a list of underperforming professors, potentially leading to demotion," Ayla said, her tone implying something Luna couldn't quite grasp.
As a professor, Luna disliked this policy. As the Federation's leader, however, she approved.
Then let's proceed.
Having been a professor for a long time, and possessing considerable experience in manipulating people, attracting students was trivial.
Infinity Academy's internal network wasn't just for academic purposes; it also had marketing and advertising.
Luna created a virtual classroom and began advertising.
【Want to control psionics? Expert professor teaches genetic control of psionic abilities!】
【Perfect gene modification in three easy steps! Learn how to become bigger and stronger!】
Luna noticed that other professors were already advertising, but their titles were too formal and unappealing.
【Quantum Field Theory Lecture: One-on-One instruction by a renowned scholar.】 Who would click on that?
Luna waited in her virtual classroom.
Soon, students arrived.
She began her lecture, her knowledge sufficient for these introductory courses.
And her advertisements weren't misleading.
During her thirty-plus years at Arcturus, she had focused on biological augmentation.
Could biological beings rival machines?
This was a question she sought to answer.
Even in the Federation, opinions were divided. Some abandoned their physical forms for greater power; others preferred their original bodies.
The virtual classroom's capacity was limitless. Luna's advertisements quickly attracted over a thousand students.
This was partly due to Luna's position; professors at Infinity Academy were renowned scholars. Luna, however, was still relatively unknown.
"The physical body limits a being's potential."
"Regardless of species, the body's ability to process information and generate energy is limited. Therefore, we created machines to help us control the universe."
"This has been the Federation's history—reliance on nanobots, powered armor, spacecraft, and warships. These tools empowered us. Even our latest technology, Symbiotic Enhancement, is merely a temporary solution, still inferior to pure machines."
"What is psionics? Special abilities; manipulating fire, lightning, even weather or particles."
"We can achieve these with technology, using powered armor, for example. But these are not our abilities; without them, we are nothing."
"Today's lecture is about genetically controlling psionic abilities."
"We will begin with the most basic psionic ability—electricity..."
Electricity was the most easily generated form of energy; most matter possesses electrical charge.
Luna's goal was to convert unused muscles or organs—the appendix, for example—into bio-electric generators.
This gene modification wouldn't significantly alter the genome but simply modify existing structures.
Like wolves and dogs; their appearances differ, but their genomes are similar, allowing for interbreeding.
Many students left after Luna's initial explanation; such technology was readily available online.
But Luna's methods were different, safer, more efficient, generating higher voltages at lower energy costs, and more easily controlled. She also included additional refinements, like creating biological circuits for energy transfer and utilizing this bioelectricity to enhance physical and mental capabilities.
These seemingly minor differences resulted in a technology far more advanced and complex.
After electricity, fire was relatively simple. Carbon-based lifeforms already possessed hydrogen and oxygen. The challenge was converting them into fuel and oxidizer, controlling the reaction, and amplifying the energy output.
These were the topics of Luna's lectures.
Since their time on Shaka, Luna and Ayla had been working on biological augmentation for the Federation, Symbiotic Enhancements being a key component.
Luna's lectures, while not groundbreaking, were practical, democratizing psionic abilities.
This was the foundation. Luna planned to have Ayla implement these modifications on Shaka within 3000 years.