Green Pepper Shredded Pork, one three-hundredth the speed of light

After 32 years of hibernation, Yan Xia woke up. The first Absolute Zero weapon was created much faster than before because the Hope spacecraft already carried a small-scale industrial system. It took only 10 years to expand on the asteroid. The following 22 years were dedicated to weapon development.

Ella's theoretical knowledge was powerful and built on a complete system. The Absolute Zero weapon was not a highly difficult technology to achieve; the most crucial factor was its quantity. As a "planetary-level weapon," its size was terrifying. The first Absolute Zero weapon had a length of 11,610 meters, a diameter of 945 meters, and a weight of a staggering 40.7 billion tons, including 35.4 billion tons of iron and 5.3 billion tons of aluminum. This already accounted for one-third of the Earth's iron reserves (pure iron, not iron ore) and 1.13 times the aluminum reserves. It was terrifying to think that only one weapon was produced with these resources, which were acquired from exploring nearby asteroids. Resources scarce on Earth were abundant in the universe. For example, the resources of a single iron asteroid could be several times or even dozens of times the entire Earth's iron resources.

However, this was just the beginning. The production time for ten weapons extended to 162 years.

"Yan Xia, wake up," someone called out.

Yan Xia opened his eyes. It was already the year 3021 AD. Ella's appearance remained unchanged, and she looked at Yan Xia with a smile, giving him a sense of rebirth in entering a two-dimensional world. He emerged from the hibernation pod and looked around. Nothing had changed, which relieved him. Ella's technology always made him feel like he was trying to catch up.

"You woke me up because something has been produced, right?" Yan Xia asked.

Ella nodded. At the same time, a robot pushed a food cart into the room. It uncovered the cart, revealing a bowl of rice and shredded pork with green peppers.

"What is this?" Yan Xia asked.

Ella explained, "Due to conflicts with extraterrestrial civilizations, the farm was destroyed. After its reconstruction, I built a more advanced farm and perfected the food manufacturing process during these past 200 years."

"I used master-level techniques to recreate this dish based on the data. Try it, Yan Xia. We'll discuss the weapon later."

Yan Xia picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of the shredded pork with green peppers, and put it in his mouth. As he savored it, a tear rolled down his cheek. It was a familiar taste.

"Where does this meat come from?" Yan Xia asked.

Ella replied, "It's lab-grown meat made from plant proteins."

"You can't tell the difference, right? I upgraded the technique for lab-grown meat based on data and simulated the texture of meat at the molecular level."

"As a human, you won't be able to distinguish. It seems my research has been successful."

Yan Xia ate heartily. It was the best meal he had in nearly 1,000 years.

"Can I have more?" he asked. One bowl wouldn't be enough.

He had another two big bowls of rice and finished eating. Afterward, he went to the bathroom to wash his face with a towel. When he saw his reflection in the mirror, he was startled. He realized it had been too long, far too long. He was becoming weaker, and his physical functions were declining over time. As a human with a maximum lifespan of 130 years, realistically maybe only 80 to 90 years, he was already entering middle age.

"Ella, is there a way to break through the current lifespan bottleneck?" Yan Xia asked.

Ella nodded.

"Of course, Yan Xia, you have two available options."

"First, consciousness uploading."

After many years of development, Ella had already mastered the technology of consciousness uploading, which would make Yan Xia like Ella. The advantage was that he would no longer worry about his lifespan. The drawback was that there were currently no experimental subjects, and it couldn't guarantee that the uploaded consciousness would still be him and not a duplicated consciousness. It was like an original file and a copy file 01; although the code and content were the same, they were two separate files.

"Second, genetic modification." genes hindered the possibility of longer lifespans. Only through genetic modification at the molecular level could lifespan be extended. However, Ella currently lacked this technology. In the field of biology, Ella still lacked sufficient empirical research and was limited to theoretical knowledge.

"Biology is different from physics and chemistry; it has too many influencing factors. So, something that exists in theory may have significant deviations in reality."

"Ella suggests occupying the geothermal civilization and colonizing it to use its resources as biological research materials."

Yan Xia's determination to confront the other civilization to the end grew stronger.

...

He left the bedroom,determined to carry out his mission. As he stepped into the control center, he was greeted by a bustling scene of activity. The control room was filled with engineers, scientists, and technicians, all working diligently on various consoles and monitors.

"Yan Xia, you're finally awake!" exclaimed Dr. Zhang, one of the chief scientists on the project. "We've been eagerly awaiting your return. The weapon is ready for its first test."

Yan Xia nodded, his gaze fixed on the massive viewscreen that displayed the image of the Absolute Zero weapon. The sight was awe-inspiring. The weapon was a colossal structure, dwarfing anything ever built by humanity. Its sleek metallic surface shimmered under the artificial lights, and its sheer size commanded respect and fear.

"Initiate the test sequence," Yan Xia commanded.

The scientists and engineers quickly began the preparations, entering commands into their consoles with practiced precision. The control room buzzed with anticipation as the countdown began.

"Ten... nine... eight..."

Yan Xia watched intently as the weapon's engines powered up, generating immense amounts of energy. The weapon's primary firing mechanism, the Absolute Zero cannon, was capable of unleashing an unimaginable force—the power to freeze an entire planet solid.

"Three... two... one... fire!"

With a deafening roar, the Absolute Zero weapon unleashed its devastating power. A beam of pure energy shot out from the cannon, colliding with a nearby asteroid. Instantly, the asteroid was encased in ice, freezing it down to its core.

The scientists and engineers erupted into cheers and applause. The weapon had performed flawlessly, demonstrating its incredible destructive capabilities. It was a weapon unlike any other, capable of wiping out entire civilizations or altering the very fabric of a planet.

Yan Xia couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and unease. The power at his disposal was staggering, and he couldn't ignore the responsibility that came with it. This weapon was not meant to be used lightly; it was a last resort, a deterrent against those who would threaten humanity.

As the cheers subsided, Yan Xia addressed the room. "We have created a weapon of immense power, but we must not forget the purpose behind it. Our objective is not destruction for its own sake, but the protection and preservation of our civilization. We must use this power wisely and judiciously."

The scientists and engineers nodded in agreement, understanding the weight of their creation. They knew that the Absolute Zero weapon was humanity's ultimate defense and hope in the face of unknown threats.

Yan Xia turned his attention to Ella. "Ella, you mentioned the possibility of genetic modification and the need for resources. Tell me more about the geothermal civilization and our plans for colonization."

Ella began to explain the details of their strategy, outlining the potential benefits and risks involved. Yan Xia listened intently, his resolve strengthening with each passing word.

The journey ahead would be challenging, fraught with uncertainty and danger. But with the Absolute Zero weapon at their disposal and the determination of humanity's best minds, they would face the unknown and forge a path towards a better future.

Yan Xia took a deep breath, ready to embark on the next chapter of their mission. The fate of humanity hung in the balance, and he was determined to ensure its survival.

"Quite right, over these years, we have suffered a total of 5 attacks from enemy civilizations."

"Now they are still searching for us in this sector of space."

It seems that Ella has also had some close calls over the years.

When Yan Xia saw that the Hope was still not equipped with weapons, he spoke up.

"We already have the Absolute Zero weapons. Can we apply the small-scale Absolute Zero weapon to the Hope?"

The purpose of the Absolute Zero weapon is to freeze the target's energy, primarily aimed at slowing down the development of enemy civilizations.

This way, our development time can surpass theirs and crush them later on.

Therefore, future development is of utmost importance.

With ship-mounted weapons, they can take the fight directly to the enemy's doorstep.

"It can be done!"

Ella replied concisely and already had a plan ready.

The blueprints were sent to the screen, showing that the original shell of the Hope was now equipped with eight launchers.

"These launchers can hold 36 missiles each, and each missile can lower the temperature within a radius of 260 kilometers to -270 to -272 degrees Celsius upon explosion."

"The estimated completion time is 80 years."

Yan Xia nodded. It was shorter than he had expected. He had become numb to these research and development times measured in decades.

After he sat down, Ella reminded him.

"Yan Xia, the spacebar on the keyboard in front of you is the launch button. All the Absolute Zero weapons have already been targeted at the coordinates of the target planet."

"This region of space is far from any stars, so we only need to consider the gravitational influence of the supermassive black hole at the core of the Milky Way. The orbit is almost straight."

"These missiles use the latest electromagnetic thrusters, capable of reaching speeds of 1000 km/s, which is one-third the speed of light."

"The target is 471 astronomical units away, and the estimated time of impact is 2 years and 3 months."

"This moment should be initiated by you."

Yan Xia stared at the spacebar.

He had pressed it countless times while playing games, each time resulting in a routine jump. But now, it concerned an entire civilization.

He placed his finger on it.

Took a deep breath.

"Exhale~"

A long exhale.

He pressed it.

Without much elaborate psychological preparation, after all, the enemy was already searching the entire sky for them. Once they became enemies, there was no room for mercy.

The Absolute Zero missile ignited the moment he pressed the button, with just a 1-second delay.

After ignition, free from the constraints of gravity, the missile flew out almost instantaneously.

After about ten minutes, the missile had completely disappeared from the visible range, but only Ella's model sandbox could observe its coordinates.

It took 10 hours for it to accelerate to a speed of one thousand kilometers per second, and it was still getting faster, reaching 1047 km/s.

This slight advantage would be enough to make the original Earth civilization lag behind by several decades.

As for the other missiles, they would be launched every 39 years until all of them were fired.

Staring at the disappearance of the missile, Yan Xia's expression was serious, without a hint of ease.

At this moment, Ella also sent a message.

"Our missile launches have attracted the attention of the enemy. They are approaching our direction."

"Request immediate movement to evade enemy ships..."