Chapter Twenty-Four: A New Concept of Speed

Because the scientists of Quattapa had never managed to unravel the mysteries of the Tarlian pyramids, the pyramid central systems of the Tarlian army repeatedly rendered Quattapa's advanced weaponry ineffective during the previous two Quatta Wars. As a result, the Quattapa forces held a particular dread toward the Tarlian military pyramids. This time, the Quattapa army resolved to circumvent high technology and destroy the pyramids the Tarlian army had constructed on Proxima Centauri B using the most primitive cold weapons. The Quattapa believed that only by thoroughly demolishing the Tarlian pyramids would they finally have the opportunity to annihilate the Tarlian army's large interstellar mixed fleet in Centaurus, thus paving the way to advance into the solar system and eliminate Earth. If they failed to completely destroy the Tarlian large mixed fleet, not only would they lose the chance to attack Earth, but even the safety of their own home planet, Quattapa, would be jeopardized. Faced with the pyramids' unique functions, the Quattapa army devised what was essentially their last resort: to use cold weapons to wreck the pyramid defense systems deployed by the Tarlian army on Proxima Centauri B.

A light vessel carrying Quattapa's special field forces was traveling at superluminal speed through countless stellar systems, crossing the vast interstellar void. The journey was long and weary, and the soldiers began to chat idly.

"We're getting closer to our destination. What if, when we land on Proxima Centauri B, we come under fire from the Tarlian ground forces?" a special operations soldier asked the major.

The Quattapa major replied, "Our main fleet is still holding the enemy's main fleet at a distance of one hundred and fifty million kilometers from Proxima Centauri B. The resistance we face consists only of the remnants of Tarlian defenders on the planet's surface. Our main target is to eliminate these remnants and, above all, to destroy their pyramids. If we succeed in sabotaging their pyramid military central systems, their entire operational chain in Centaurus will collapse."

The soldiers were greatly reassured by the major's explanation, their confidence renewed. Although the Quattapa people did not fear natural death, they were still somewhat afraid of dying on the battlefield. Those who fell in combat were, in most cases, incinerated to a gaseous state, and in such a condition, their bodies could no longer be reborn; this was true death.

The journey was long and tiring, so the major instructed his special forces to sleep and rest. He himself entered the cockpit, lying beside the pilot to chat.

The major asked, "I've always wanted to know—what scientific principles allow our ship to travel at such superluminal speeds?"

The pilot replied, "If we speak only of one-dimensional velocity—for example, flying in a uniform gravitational field within flat space—our ship hasn't actually reached light speed, let alone surpassed it. Most of the ship's components are made entirely of positive matter; accelerating to light speed requires tremendous energy, and the ship's mass becomes enormous. We haven't yet mastered the technology to overcome the increase in mass. But we have achieved practical superluminal travel thanks to a new conceptual technology developed by our scientists. It's not the traditional notion of one-dimensional velocity, but a synthesis that combines one-dimensional speed with the properties of spacetime and gravitational fields. It uses the special nature of multidimensional spacetime and new matter characteristics, employing gravitational sources as its motive force—a new movement theory that merges the folding effect of time and the tension effect of space at its core. Our ship's speed is not constant and uniform. For instance, when traversing the vastness of empty space, it activates the excavation system, creating spatial tension to accelerate. When passing through star systems with complex gravitation, it starts the time machine to fold time, then expands the natural gravitational field and uses gravitational effects to provide additional acceleration. Yet this technology has its flaws: it only works in certain specific environments. In other words, this ship can achieve superluminal flight only in regions compatible with its intrinsic characteristics. If we were to travel to Andromeda via the edge of the Milky Way, the high proportions of dark matter and the differing gravitational forms, plus the complex gravitational environment, would prevent spatial tension from being regulated, the time-folding effect would fail, and the ship's core technologies would all become ineffective."

"I truly am ignorant," the major said. "Since childhood I've only focused on military studies and lack basic knowledge of physics. I'll need your guidance in the future."

"No need for modesty," the pilot replied. "Knowledge is complementary. You're an outstanding combat officer, rich in both military theory and practical experience. Once you've defeated the Tarlian army, let's return to Quattapa and have a long talk."

As they chatted, suddenly the cabin lit up in multicolored flashes—the communications equipment linking to the front lines had received new information. The major, with practiced movements, quickly connected the device to the two wave-language antennae atop his head. The Quattapa's communications technology was exceptionally advanced; no matter how far apart, signals could act instantaneously across distances without requiring time to transmit, making their exchanges remarkably fluid.

The captain of an attack ship in the Quattapa's large interstellar carrier group said, "Major, I salute your arduous journey. Though we've kept the Tarlian mixed fleet at one hundred and fifty million kilometers from Proxima Centauri B, our own fleet is also quite distant from the planet. Your special operations troops face great danger as they land. To mitigate this risk, I will dispatch a light attack ship to provide air cover for your team."

"Thank you very much!" the major replied. "Every member on the battlefield is important, and I hope to contribute effective support to the entire operational system during combat."

The pilot noticed the joy on the major's face and asked, "You must have received some news that pleased you."

The major said, "Without even having to request it, a captain at the front has already solved the issue I was concerned about, so my worries are gone."

"What were your concerns?" the pilot asked. "As far as I know, our forces have already blocked the enemy's main fleet at a distance of one hundred and fifty million kilometers from Proxima Centauri B."

The major explained, "Because our entire carrier group is keeping the Tarlian fleet at bay at that distance, there are no friendly warships near Proxima Centauri B. I was afraid that during our landing, we would be vulnerable to ground fire from the Tarlian army. Now, I can rest easy—the frontline commander has decided to send a light combat ship to hover above Proxima Centauri B and provide us with air cover during the landing."

"Brilliant, truly brilliant! With the generals coordinating, I'm confident your unit will conquer the Tarlian pyramids. From what I know, once their central system is destroyed, the Tarlian entire operational structure will collapse—is that correct?" the pilot asked.

The major shook his antennae atop his head and twisted his body, squinting his eyes. Clearly, he was smiling uncontrollably, his expression one of joy as he answered the pilot's question.

The Quattapa's pair of eyes and their foreheads were quite similar to humans; with a mask on, they could easily be mistaken for people from Earth. Wearing an expression of happiness, the major got up and headed to the sleeping quarters of the special forces. Most were asleep, with only one soldier sitting idly. The major himself had no desire to rest—this was a perfect opportunity for the two to chat. With his extraordinary empathy, the major's language antennae had already intercepted the bioelectric waves the soldier emitted while pondering.

Before speaking, the major already knew what the soldier had been thinking.

"I understand your feelings," the major said. "To be frank, I too am afraid of dying in battle. Both sides are equipped with powerful microwave energy weapons; if our bodies are struck by these potent energy waves, our remains will vanish forever, meaning our lives will truly end with this corporeal form."

The special forces soldier replied, "According to our Quattapa beliefs, when our life comes to an end, our soul temporarily separates from our body. If the body is utterly destroyed or heavily polluted, the soul can no longer find a vessel, and it will forever drift in the dark cosmos. Our thoughts and memories will wander endlessly through this darkness, until our soul is swallowed by a black hole—only then will our suffering and fear truly cease."

In fact, in the highly civilized society of Quattapa, this belief was common knowledge shared by all. According to Quattapa religious doctrine and philosophy, they regarded their planet as the 'Body God' and their red dwarf home star as the 'Soul God.' Every Quattapa possessed a dual nature of body and soul. They believed the 'Soul God' was the supreme, unrivaled, and omnipotent deity in the universe. The 'Soul God's' gaze penetrated all spacetime and matter; every action of a Quattapa was under its supervision. If a Quattapa maliciously violated any religious law, the 'Soul God' would confiscate their wisdom—in Quattapa culture, 'soul' and 'wisdom' were synonymous. Those deprived of their 'soul' thus lost their wisdom, becoming what Earthlings would call fools or imbeciles. Their bodies, considered gifts from the 'Body God'—their home planet—were endowed with superior physical qualities and physiological structures, allowing their remains to undergo repeated rebirth.

Among the Milky Way's rare and noble intelligent lifeforms, the Quattapa stood out, thanks to their profound religious faith, superior physiology, unmatched intellect, unique empathy, and compassion. Combined with the planet's special geological structure and environment, the peculiar light energy of their home star, and their exclusive sustenance—M liquid matter—the Quattapa had evolved along this chain, becoming the most outstanding higher intelligence in the galaxy.