Age of Cosmic Exploration

Chapter 452: Steel Ball Standing in Space (1)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"This psychological control system is unique in the sense that it can connect to your brain waves through super-energy condensation. From a certain perspective, this means that the structure aligned to your brain wave will become part of your body, and all the signals will become a signal that you can sense directly... to put it simply, this system is an extension of your brain!

"All of us know that the human brain is the most mysterious human body part. In fact, even though we’re now a level 3 space civilization, our understanding of the human brain is still fairly lacking, especially in terms of spirit, consciousness, and logicality. It has to be said that the creator of this system is really a genius, but it is still incomplete, so it might cause an overload of sensory information...

"If this is our brain, then the problem can be easily solved. For example, if you went shopping on a busy street and you ran into a familiar face and started chatting, the other noises from the street would naturally fade away for you to focus on your conversation. Similarly when you’re asleep, the surroundings will become quiet. If there is a constant water dropping sound in the background, it’ll disturb your sleeping pattern. Our brains are able to filter out this unnecessary information naturally...

"However, the incompleteness of the system means that it doesn’t have a natural or fully functioning filter. Furthermore, the system will cause an influx of information that is normally ten times the size of normal situation. The consequence will be brain death for normal human beings and drowsiness, or in some cases, death for Homo Evolutis... Currently, only Yao Yuan, who has received plenty of training, can survive the excessive information influx for an extended period of time before the sleep comes...

"However... even if this system is incomplete, it doesn’t mean that no one can use it. In fact, according to our research, there is one kind of person that can use them... they are children. Yes, compared to adults, children have a more simplified thought process, and that aids with information filtering. In fact, if the user is a Homo Evolutis under the age of 10, the pressure the system will have on the children is much smaller than the pressure it will have on Yao Yuan. In fact, if the children focus completely in battle, they might not even feel the pressure of the additional information...

"The internal structure of the Steel Ball contains a plasmatic ion cold fission reactor. Its energy output is no different from normal plasmatic ion fission reactor, but its stability is at least 100 times its normal variant. For a Steel Ball the size of 15 meters, the reactor can ensure that it will keep on functioning for at least a year...

"...So the biggest issue in the construction of Steel Ball is not the materials but the lack of qualified pilots..."

Jacko naturally didn’t know about this conversation. In fact, the Steel Ball currently still qualified as a grade A confidential detail. Other than a handful, most human beings were not privy to the design and construction of Steel Ball. The only thing confirmed by the citizens was that usage of Steel Ball would have a great toll on its user. Even a powerful Homo Evolutis like Yao Yuan would be greatly affected, much less a normal human being.

Jacko sat in his personal hovercraft that came with its own driver. He gripped his hands tightly, his fingers interlocking. He sat quietly, his face as dark as abyss. However, there was a trace of hesitation on it. From the central command to the hospital, he maintained this expression.

The journey was not long, and along the way were endless scenes of tragedies. People crying on the street, collapsing buildings, cracks on the ground, there were also explosions from energy plants and storage. The number of deaths had to be more than 100. This was a harrowing event. If this was peace time, he would definitely be deposed from his post as the commanding officer and perhaps even thrown into jail. But this was war... if he didn’t come up with a solution soon, perhaps everyone there would...

Thinking about this, Jacko gripped his fist and his face had a trace of conviction on his face like he had just come to a decision...

Luckily, the hospital was still standing even though tons of equipment had been destroyed, especially those related to energy reserves. This caused half of the hospital to be unusable. Thankfully, the Homo Evolutis sector wasn’t affected, so when Jacko arrived at the hospital, he saw three children being given the drip and two women guarding over them.

When Jacko arrived, Marrion was first shocked before walking over to ask, "What’s wrong? Why are you here when it’s wartime?"

Jacko didn’t say a word but reached out to smooth his wife’s hair. Then he walked to one of the attending doctors to ask, "Doctor, I want you to tell me whether my son has really awakened to a Homo Evolutis or if he’s just suffering from a common fever."

The doctor appeared to be in his middle-age, so this meant that he was probably over 90 years of age. In fact, he was one of the few medical experts that came from Old Earth. He said seriously, "Lieutenant, with all due respect, you’re a lieutenant, so you should know by now that we humans will no longer fall sick to fever. It is the same for children as well. After the human strengthening project began, we’ve only have three fever cases, and these are the three. No, wait, I stand corrected. There are four, the other one being Zhang San. Since he was confirmed to be a Homo Evolutis, then yes, the children are Homo Evolutis as well."

"Is that so..." Jacko smiled apologetically at the doctor before turning to his wife. After he had his men usher the doctors and nurses out of the room, he said, "Marrion, I have a bad news. Unfortunately... I’ve failed, no, the second defense line has failed. Even though the power of the main cannon was stronger than expected, we do not have the time to wait for the first fleet to come rescue us. Even if they were just one day away from us, this place will fall in less than 24 hours and we will all die..."

Marrion opened her mouth wide, but no words came out. With her hand on her chest, she eventually gasped, "Oh, God, Jacko, please tell me you’re kidding..."

Susan beside her was also in a state of disbelief.

Jacko smiled. "Honey, how could I joke about something like that... The scariest thing is the numbers of the fleet. According to our analysis, there is at least 300,000 spaceships heading towards the City of Light Moon. Even though the city is much bigger than this base, their military defense is much smaller than ours... so humanity is facing extinction. How can I joke about something like that?"

"God, please look after us humans, to help us overcome this ordeal..." Marrion started to pray.

Jacko, though, bent over to look at his son. He was a healthy mixed blood baby, with yellowish brown skin and brunette, curly hair. This was his son, Rei...

"Honey... I want our son to get in a Steel Ball."

Marrion still hadn’t recovered from her shock and Jacko’s words didn’t register in her mind, so she asked, "What did you say just now? Sorry, I didn’t hear you."

Jacko stood up to look his wife straight in the eye. "Honey, my dear wife... I want our son to get in a Steel Ball to control it. Currently, there are two Steel Balls left on the base. Unfortunately, the tremor just now had caused a crack in the hangar and one of them fell into the crevice and lodged itself there. We are unable to retrieve it in a short amount of time, so we only have one Steel Ball left, and I want Rei to be the pilot."

Marrion was stunned before rushing to Rei’s side and forming a blockade around him. She yelled, "Jacko, you cannot do this! Our son is only nine years old. Maybe he is only suffering from a fever; no one can be certain he has already awakened to a Homo Evolutis, and this is the Steel Ball you’re talking about. He’ll die..."

"Honey, do you know what is at stake here? The City of Light Moon, Homeward Planet, the place where the Hope landed, that’s the end of the line for humanity! If that place falls, it is over for us humans! So..."

Jacko argued seriously. Then he walked to his wife to give her a hug. Using a voice that only he and his wife could hear, he said, "I know what you want to say, but please don’t say it. Indeed, Rei is not the only Homo Evolutis here, but... they are not our children, and Rei is my son. I know this is unfair, but it was also unfair when the heroes at the first defense line had to sacrifice themselves. It was unfair when Major Wang Hwa brought his team to meet death. The world is unfair... I’m sorry, Marrion, I love you and I love Rei, but..."

Jacko used the back of his hand to knock at a point at the back of Marrion’s head, causing her to faint instantly. He placed his wife at the bed before hugging his unconscious son off the bed. He kissed his son’s face and brows and tears fell out of the corners of his eyes.

"Rei, my son, you’re Jacko’s son, and you’re destined to be a hero, the youngest and the most powerful Homo Evolutis...

"I’m very proud of you!"