Chapter 137: Island Plan I_1
The scale of this United Planetary Defense Council meeting is quite large, with representatives and advisory groups from nearly all nations attending, totaling thousands of political dignitaries.
All countries understand this is a meeting that will decide the fate of human civilization for decades to come, especially for smaller nations in low-latitude regions—they are already at the mercy of the larger powers, and humanity may have entered an alternative Dark Forest.
In these smaller countries, everyone hopes to break free from this dark situation, but that is almost impossible. They seem to have foreseen a bleak future filled with war, bitter cold, famine…
The only ray of hope for these small nations is the sacrifices made by Country C during this disaster. Gratitude is out of the question, but they can analyze the interests involved.
The conference quickly entered into the two most important issues—food distribution and post-disaster reconstruction.
For the first time, Lin Sen, the Wallfacer, approached the podium not in his capacity as a Wallfacer but as a representative of the Moon.
It was not a Wallfacer plan hearing this time, but a political consultation conducted by the Moon Base in its status as a dominant world power—an authority the Wallfacer had never had before.
In the original timeline, the PDC was highly wary of Wallfacers; Wallfacers could not be involved in politics, but now Lin Sen's attendance signaled that Wallfacers might be officially entering the political arena.
Lin Sen: "Human civilization has come a long way since the moment it was born, experiencing countless trials.
"Now we stand on the ruins of the world, and everything once familiar has become a distant memory.
"Whether we like it or not, the world has changed, both in regions that have suffered catastrophic storms and those that have not, a fact needs to be acknowledged.
"The surface of the Earth is no longer fit for habitation. According to the investigation report provided by the Science Advisory Board, this storm has thoroughly altered the global atmospheric environment.
"Previously, the global climate was primarily affected by volcanic ash, leading to abnormal climate patterns. However, after the disaster, most of the dust on the surface has entered the stratosphere.
"Various toxins, bacteria, and even viruses from underground have also widely entered the atmosphere, especially industrial waste from 300 years that has been stirred up, pollution that we can hardly imagine.
"Now, the environmental pollution is beyond the capability of our current means to remediate. Drinkable water on the surface has become incredibly precious, and once clear rivers are now full of turbidity and pollutants.
"The sky is no longer blue and white; it's dim and yellowish, as if a grey curtain has covered the entire world, with the air filled with suffocating odors, and we dare not breathe deeply anymore.
"We have paid a severe price for our madness. There's no longer an inch of land under the sun that belongs to us. We don't even have time to regret, as the fate of humanity is of utmost importance now.
"It seems we now have only one choice: to fully move underground and create sufficient living spaces beneath the surface.
"I call this the Underground City Plan, which may not be a plan but our only way out.
"The Underground City Plan involves expanding suitable shelters for development. Our homes can only be underground from now on.
"I have here a design for the underground city, created by a team of hundreds of elite professionals from various fields, as per my requirements.
"The design work began when I awoke from hibernation, has been ongoing for more than half a year, and has only just been completed.
"The Underground City Plan has three requirements:
"First, each underground city is expected to accommodate a population ranging from one to three million. Any larger, and it would be very difficult to achieve with our current industrial capabilities. The construction goal should ensure the safety and comfort of the residents.
"The entire structure of the underground city resembles subterranean giants trees, their thick trunks acting as main thoroughfares directly connecting the city to the outside world.
"The branches of each giant tree are the divisions, and each branch leads to a leaf which represents a micro-city, similar to an ant colony's structure.
"Each giant tree structure's trunk is a pillar supporting the underground city's dome, and one can take an elevator directly to the surface from within the trunk.
"The architecture of the underground city must be spacious, with numerous squares and leisure facilities throughout. To live underground for a long time, a substantial amount of entertainment is required.
"Second, each underground city must have a complete industrial system.
"Below the trunk lies the industrial base. The planning scale for the industrial base is the largest—where the production of all kinds of materials for the future will take place.
"The industrial base must be capable of producing everything from a single tiny screw to a spacecraft rocket, including all industrial categories of technology.
"The reason every underground city must establish a complete industrial system is that communication between them is challenging. It is hard to form a complete industrial chain, so it is better for each underground city to have at least basic industrial capabilities."
"At the same time, the construction of a complete industrial system requires a large workforce, and ordinary people can also participate in this construction, which can better maintain the stability of the Underground City.
"Furthermore, the Moon Base is also undergoing major construction and requires a large number of low-tech industrial products. Each Underground City can contribute to the construction of the Moon Base.
"Third, each Underground City must have a certain military defense capability.
"Considering the final battle with the Trisolarans, the surface may be engulfed in warfare, and the Underground City is also one of our means of protection.
"Each Underground City is also a relatively independent military defense fortress, with a complete defense system and living facilities, and can effectively organize defense during wartime.
"Of course, if the war has already moved to ground combat, it would indicate that we have already failed. However, anything can happen in a war, and an Interstellar 'Grenade' could destroy a city; military defense fortresses are indeed necessary.
"They can provide better protection for the families of soldiers and allow them to fight with greater peace of mind.
"The Underground City project, statement complete!"
The Shelter Plan was the precursor to the Underground City project; however, the Underground City project is also the precursor to the Island project.
Presenting the Underground City project to humanity now is honestly a bit risky, but now is the best opportunity. Those human elites are definitely not fools.
These Underground Cities will not have any problems in the early stages with military defense forces and a complete industrial system.
But decades later, as the Underground Cities develop, the state's constraints on them will become increasingly lax, and the Underground Cities will inevitably move toward independence.
Especially the third point, talking about a war 200 years later is undoubtedly an insult to the intelligence of everyone present, but they can't guess Lin Sen's purpose.
This era will not be like the one before the apocalyptic war in the original timeline, where humans had no concept of war; they are also exceptionally sensitive to politics.
But Lin Sen is now not only a Wallfacer; more accurately, he has become one pole of the world. He relies no longer on the PDC but on sufficient foundation.
It's not only the Dark Forest that is dangerous; the forest under the sunlight is still dangerous.
The Science Advisory Boards of various countries are urgently discussing countermeasures. For the big countries, they definitely do not want Underground Cities to have military power. They can still foresee the implications decades later.
However, after the disaster, all countries have basically returned to the same starting line, the advantages of big countries are extremely weakened. Just a few small countries banding together could even arm-wrestle with a big country.
The threats faced by big countries are also great; now, their main priority is to restore industry. The Underground City project is a forced choice. But if we follow Lin Sen's idea, will the big countries still have an advantage in the near future?
Big countries have the foundation of big countries, but they also bear the greatest burden. Today, with the harsh climate environment, it's difficult to maintain connections.
All communication bases have been destroyed, and satellite phones, under the influence of today's atmospheric dust, make communications more difficult.
This significantly increases the difficulty of national governance.
For big countries, this is the most protracted choice.
For small countries, the immediate concern is the covetous gaze of surrounding big countries. A starving camel is still larger than a horse; the gap between small countries and big countries has narrowed, but it is still substantial.
After the disaster, all resources will be scarce. Never underestimate the malevolence of other countries.
As Lin Sen said, this world has changed—international situations, geopolitics... everything is different.
The main contradiction for humanity now is not only survival versus the environment, but also a large population with a lack of labor force.
To have all Underground Cities possess a complete industrial system, a global large-scale industrial construction is required.
To provide all Underground Cities with military defense power is also imperative, an unstoppable necessity.
Everyone knows this will leave hidden dangers for the future, but the current considerations can only be for the present, to keep peace for a longer period. The future can only be left to the future.
The Underground City project is just the beginning of the Island project."