Chapter 241 Adjacent Peace

No. 7: "The boundary between agrarian and nomadic civilizations is natural. Agrarian civilizations entering nomadic areas soon become nomadic, and vice versa.

"This boundary is different from the one between our civilizations."

Lin Sen: "It's all the same. Both of us have mastered Dark Forest Deterrence. We both dare not completely destroy each other.

"Such a war of civilizations has become meaningless. Your technology has advanced to the point where you can build Starship Trisolaris. You don't have to choose to invade the Solar System anymore.

"There are not even any fundamental conflicts between human civilization and Trisolaran civilization anymore. As for the problem of having to eliminate other civilizations in the Dark Forest state,

"I think you are overthinking it. It's only a possibility. The process of deducing the Dark Forest was not rigorous. The purpose of civilization is to resist such fate.

"Besides, you have just emerged from your star system and do not possess the capability to launch a Hines Strike yet. Trying to completely eliminate humanity is also very dangerous for you."

No. 7: "Indeed, there is a voice within our civilization that believes that since we have solved our fundamental problem, there is no need to eliminate humanity. We might also emigrate to other star systems.

"The opposition believes you are too dangerous and that you must be eliminated. Now, we still have the chance to eliminate you, but in the future, if we ever meet again, we won't have the opportunity."

Lin Sen: "This kind of reasoning is problematic. Who can guarantee that in the future we will be stronger than you? In the development of human civilization, if one side cannot completely eliminate the other, compromise is necessary.

"Compared to that, I'm more worried about you not waging war against humanity, completely refusing any form of communication with us, and even emigrating to other star systems.

"I rather hope that the war between humans and the Trisolarans continues. Both sides need to improve themselves constantly in such a war. War is also a means of communication, and we are all waiting for the opportunity that the 'new industrial age' will bring.

"If that day does not come, or if one of us falls first, that too would be our destiny.

"I have always believed that in advanced civilizations, their wars may be even more brutal, but they probably do not have a Dark Forest, or rather, they do not need it."

No. 7: "I too hope that day arrives soon.

Lastly, I want to ask, do you really plan to go and meet our lost warship?

You clearly know we won't let you get it."

Lin Sen: "Yes, we must go to meet it as it's the best opportunity we have to interact with you.

"You make decisions based on possible outcomes, but us, we act simply because we need that warship.

"Rationality is helpless in such matters.

"On this point, you should lay aside some of your rationality. Just because you think rationality fits this universe more, doesn't mean it's correct."

No. 7: "Indeed, our ways of thinking are very different. But these past 200 years seem to prove one thing, you are always right, and I... perhaps should also believe in you."

Lin Sen: "The universe is filled with despair. It seems that only by utterly suppressing human nature can one survive, but we are human.

"We evolved civilization over millions of years, and now we are asked to become beasts again.

"I do not wish to accept this fate. I want to take a gamble, to stake both our civilizations on a single gamble."

This conversation was an exchange of probings between No. 7 and Lin Sen, which did not yield any substantial gains, but it did express a desire for cooperation.

...

Today is the day a thousand-strong federal fleet accompanies Lin Sen on his departure. This mighty fleet has been given a name of deep significance—The "Peace" Fleet.

It is not only a powerful military force but also carries the profound longing and relentless pursuit of enduring peace by humanity.

The flagship of the fleet is named the "Adjacent Peace," a name whose implication is self-evident. The Trisolaran Star System and the Solar System are neighboring systems, and the closest star to the sun in Trisolaris is also called Proxima Centauri.

It reflects not only the close geographical relationship between the two star systems but also symbolizes the expectation of peaceful coexistence between humans and Trisolarans.

The Peace Fleet's direction is towards the lost warship of the Trisolaran Interstellar Fleet, but the real goal is still the civilization of the Magic Ring in the Four-dimensional Fragments.

As for whether it can be found, one must pray to the metaphysical forces shrouded in mystery. For this reason, Lin Sen brought along every original character he could remember.

The first is Chu Yan, the former captain of the "Blue Space," with the rank of colonel. At this moment, he too was part of the federal fleet.

When Zhang Beihai's "Natural Selection" fled, he requested to pursue it voluntarily, which was indeed an attempt to escape. During the Dark Forest battles, five warships annihilated each other, and he emerged as the ultimate survivor.

In the Deterrence Era, faced with Earthlings' deceitful call to return, he withstood the immense pressure from his ship, traveled at low speed, and decisively fled after receiving the warning message from the "Bronze Age."

At the end of deterrence, The Waterdrop had already made its kill, yet this child of destiny encountered Four-Dimensional Space Fragments and the Magic Ring civilization, using four-dimensional space to capture The Waterdrop. At the same time, he took "Universal Gravity" hostage and transmitted a gravity wave broadcast, escaping into the stars with the information from the Magic Ring civilization and the captured Waterdrop.

The Starship Earth civilization led by Chu Yan persevered until the end of the universe and got its number with the Returners, becoming a renowned civilization in the cosmos.

Not bringing such a deitylike figure would simply be doing oneself a disservice—he truly is Humanity's child of destiny.

Even for that enigmatic metaphysics, Lin Sen went as far as renaming his warship to "Blue Space."

"Blue Space" also included characters from the original story:

Piao Yijun, former marine commander of the "Blue Space," with the rank of major;

Morovich, former science officer of the "Blue Space," with the rank of captain;

Qiuyuan Reiko, former navigator of the "Blue Space," with the rank of captain...

The second is Guan Yifan. Guan Yifan and Cheng Xin lived until the end of the universe inside the Pastoral Microcosmos gifted by Yun Tianming.

This is another veritable child of fortune who just needs to be kept away from Cheng Xin; otherwise, he might still be influenced by Cheng Xin's aura.

People always thought that Cheng Xin's decision not to return the last 5 kilograms of matter to the universe was wrong. Right or wrong aside, but Guan Yifan's support shows that he had been influenced by Cheng Xin's aura.

In the countless microcosmoses created by numerous civilizations, there must be a significant portion that did not respond to the call to return, so the mass ultimately taken from the universe is at least a few billion tons, possibly even quintillions of tons. Cheng Xin's 5 kilograms of matter may not make any difference after all.

But Guan Yifan's support also indicates he might believe Cheng Xin's past choices weren't wrong, suggesting this child of fortune is also for the Holy Mother.

Guan Yifan's warship was renamed "Universal Gravity" by Lin Sen, not out of a poor sense of humor, but in line with a logical metaphysics. Yep... no contradictions.

"Universal Gravity" also included characters from the original story:

Morovich, the former captain of "Universal Gravity," now appointed captain by Lin Sen;

West, Doctor, former psychiatric doctor aboard the "Universal Gravity" warship;

Daven, former military police commander of "Universal Gravity"...

These characters were just passing through in the original story. In fact, Lin Sen didn't even know if these names corresponded to those from the original timeline. Besides, names like Morovich and West are their surnames—who knows how many of them there are.

Just finding the key characters Chu Yan and Guan Yifan is good enough. One can only hope their fortune can also protect Humanity on this timeline.

...

The Peace Fleet has set sail, carrying Humanity's hopes to meet the Trisolaran's missing warship and to search for the four-dimensional space that might change Humanity's fate.

In the deep starry sky of the cosmos, the human starfleet aligned orderly, shining like bright stars against the dark expanse of the universe.

The Peace Fleet is currently passing through the Kuiper Belt, traditionally considered the edge of the Solar System. It is located beyond Neptune's orbit, near the Ecliptic Plane, about 30 to 55 astronomical units from the Sun.

This vast region, resembling a huge ring, is set on the periphery of the Solar System.

The Kuiper Belt is a unique and mysterious zone filled with countless asteroids, comets, and other small celestial bodies, primarily composed of ice.

It is often said that the radius of the Solar System is one light-year, which actually encompasses the Heliosphere and the even more extensive and larger Oort Cloud region, with no precisely defined boundaries as of now.

This voyage will become the furthest Humans have reached, other than the Water Droplet Spaceship.