Chapter 387: The Direction of the Deep Space Fleet

The Exploration Fleet also arrived at the hidden location of Human Deep Space Civilization, where Chu Yan and Zhang Beihai, as if drawn by the threads of fate, finally had their destined meeting.

When the two pairs of hands, weathered and solid as rocks, tightly clasped each other, in that moment, all of humanity cheered and boiled over with excitement.

This was not merely a simple handshake; it was the convergence of two civilizations, two histories, and the long-awaited reunion cherished in the hearts of countless generations.

In that moment, the souls of all humanity resonated, cheering like a tide that surged through the cold space, warming every wandering heart. This cheer was the most sincere joy following tears, a cheer for the boundless possibilities of the future.

Behind this hard-earned joy, an indescribable sense of pride surged within them, as if humanity's spirit had once again ascended. It was a hymn to the relentless spirit of life, the highest praise for human wisdom and courage, and a steadfast belief and wistful longing for the future.

After the exhilaration, Zhang Beihai, with his deep and magnetic voice, slowly recounted the entire journey of the Escape Fleet.

*

Time rewound to the 191st year of the Crisis Era.

Under the joint initiative of the Earth Federation and Moon Camp, the deep space plan was put into action.

This was an unprecedented journey across light-years; over 700 warships, each weighing five million tons and carrying massive amounts of industrial equipment and resources, appeared like ferocious beasts of steel in the starry sky, gathering more than 1.5 million volunteer fleet personnel and bearing humanity's hope and despair, they slowly set forth toward the unknown abyss.

They headed in different directions, prepared to hide and roam within the Oort Cloud like hunters, lurking and trying to decipher the attack patterns of the Trisolarans, in a quest to find a glimmer of hope for human survival.

This was also a gamble, staking the future of human civilization. If the Trisolarans ignored them and instead directly attacked the human civilization within the Solar System,

then, when humanity was defeated, the deep space plan would instantly become an escape plan—it was the last ember of humanity, the sole hope for the continuation of civilization.

Zhang Beihai, as the Executive Captain of the Natural Selection, also resolutely embarked on this journey with the Deep Space Fleet.

At departure, he was equipped with an escape monitoring system, and the crew was stamped with the Thoughtcontrol of "humanity must prevail." Normally, they would never take the step towards the unknown and treacherous path of escape without confirmation of humanity's defeat.

However, Wade's subtle and profound gaze, as if piercing through layers of fog, made Zhang Beihai realize that the seemingly impregnable monitoring system might not hinder his escape.

In that instant, Zhang Beihai felt an indescribable comfort in his heart—realizing that he was not alone, there were like-minded souls who had silently paved this thorny path for him.

Finally, when the "Natural Selection," this massive vessel carrying humanity's hope, slowly drifted into the dark depths of the Oort Cloud, completely severing all ties with the human world within the Solar System, Zhang Beihai's resolve was as firm as steel.

In this moment, he no longer hesitated, no longer bound by predetermined destiny, but resolutely took that step, embarking on the journey of escape and redemption that belonged to him and to all of humanity.

This was a meticulously planned journey that spanned two centuries, finally emerging in this moment, like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon.

And those crew members, who should have been furious over the betrayal, were instead unexpectedly filled with an indescribable joy.

It was at this moment that Zhang Beihai suddenly realized, the Thoughtcontrol stamped on them all was not "humanity must prevail" but "humanity must fail," a firm faith that ensured the eternal legacy of human civilization in the vast galaxy.

At this moment, Lin Sen's escape plan was fully revealed to everyone, and this was just a part of Lin Sen's overall plan.

Although Zhang Beihai had harbored vague premonitions in the depths of his heart, he had never anticipated that this escape route would be so winding and grand.

Firstly, beneath Hines's layers of mist-like camouflage, the true purpose was surprisingly Thoughtcontrol. This Thoughtcontrol, since its inception, was not about enhancing the resolve of the Human Space Force but was silently laying the groundwork for a grand escape, like a seed hidden deep in time, quietly awaiting the dawn of the day of escape.

Next, Lin Sen, by intentionally breaking Hines's Wallbreakers, forced a pause in Hines's plan; the steel seal machine was sealed away. This move not only temporarily interrupted Hines's grand vision but more importantly, it shifted the Trisolarans' attention away from the steel seal machine, thereby ensuring that this earth-shattering secret continued to slumber in the abyss, unseen by external enemies.

The collaboration between Hines and Lin Sen also completed an unthinkable strategical relay, something the Trisolarans could never imagine.

Furthermore, amidst the struggle for dominance in the Earth-Moon Camp, Lin Sen, with almost artistic finesse, skillfully manipulated the situation. He not only enabled Humanity to colonize the entire Solar System, securing a larger living space, but also left behind numerous industrially and militarily combined super warships.

Last, he opportunistically proposed the already announced "Deep Space Plan," an overt stratagem. The reason humanity struggled to take the steps toward escape was that it would cause the fragile Human Society to instantly crumble and disperse.

The "Deep Space Plan," however, presented a normal strategic plan with a dignified stance. Its implementation would not lead to societal upheaval and collapse but would act like a stabilizing medicine instead.

What was more ingenious was that, on the surface, this plan wouldn't consume a large amount of mainstream human defensive combat resources, as these 700 super warships were all retrofitted from old decommissioned warships from the last century's Earth-Moon supremacy period;

It could also rightfully prepare abundant resources for escape, including Earth's diverse species samples and Humanity's precious gene banks. Once they reached a new stellar system, they could quickly scatter the seeds of civilization, nurturing new life and societies.

Each warship seemed like a spark of civilization, carrying the hopes and dreams of Humanity's future.

*

The Natural Selection, this interstellar ark carrying the hopes and dreams of humanity, finally embarked on its long journey of wandering.

Its first stop was locked onto the distant and mystic Teegarden's Star, a red dwarf star in the Aries Constellation, approximately 12.5 light-years from the Solar System. It is the known 24th nearest stellar system and also the closest stellar system in the Aries Constellation.

Aries and the Perseus constellation are adjacent, which also forms the basis for potential encounters with the Divine Vessel Civilization.

Choosing this direction was firstly because it is also the opposite direction from the Trisolaran Star System, which, relatively speaking, might provide a trace of peace.

Secondly, because of Teegarden's Star. Although it is a small and cold star, with a mass about 8% of the Sun's and a luminosity only 0.073% that of the Sun, and a surface temperature of about 2700°C—barely visible to the naked eye.

However, human observations have confirmed the existence of at least two Earth-like planets orbiting Teegarden's Star, named Teegarden b and Teegarden c respectively.

Teegarden b and c are Earth-like planets, similar in size to Earth, but only about 0.025 astronomical units and 0.0443 astronomical units away from Teegarden's Star, respectively.

This proximity inevitably results in two phenomena: firstly, the strong gravitational tidal forces of Teegarden's Star have long tidally locked Teegarden b and c, just like the Moon is tidally locked to Earth, always facing the main star with the same side;

Secondly, the powerful stellar wind makes it difficult for Teegarden b and c to retain their atmospheres. However, Teegarden's Star is at least 8 billion years old, and its flare activities have stabilized significantly, so it no longer poses such a harsh radiation environment.

Teegarden b's ESI rating is as high as 0.95; an Earth Similarity Index is a quantitative measure used to gauge how similar an exoplanet is to Earth, ranging from 0, representing completely different, to 1, representing exactly the same.

Teegarden b's ESI rating of 0.95 is the highest for any exoplanet found by humanity so far, making it the most Earth-like exoplanet discovered to date.