Chapter 20: William's Journey to Xandar ~
~ Chapter 20: William's Journey to Xandar ~
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~ Flashback to early 2001 ~
William Lin gazed out of the reinforced observation window of the Golden Horizon, the first ship of its kind—a vessel built not just to explore space but to conquer it. It was 2001, and humanity had yet to truly break past its solar boundaries, yet here he was, defying convention. The ship was cutting-edge but far from perfect, relying on experimental propulsion systems developed by Golden Aerospace, his family's company.
His mission? To reach Xandar, a world known for its vast technological superiority. He's been preparing for these ever since getting some information about the universe from the Kree Warrior in 1995. But what lay between Earth and his destination was uncharted, dangerous, and full of unknowns.
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The First Leap: Escaping Earth's Limitations
The first challenge was simple in concept but immensely difficult in execution—breaking past Earth's solar influence. Traditional chemical propulsion would have never been enough, so the Golden Horizon had been fitted with an early prototype of a fusion-based engine, capable of providing constant thrust rather than relying on short, inefficient bursts.
Within weeks of departure, William realized the engine's efficiency was still lacking. The speed was too slow, and fuel consumption remained a major constraint. At this rate, he'd never reach Xandar within a reasonable timeframe. He needed a breakthrough—fast.
He spent months in the ship's engineering bay, working tirelessly to refine the fusion reactor. It wasn't enough to just make it efficient; he needed a true game-changer. That's when he took a risky approach—integrating elements of Kryptonium, a newly developed material exclusive to Golden Enterprise, into the reactor's core.
The result? A significant boost in propulsion efficiency. With the upgraded engine, the Golden Horizon reached speeds far beyond what was previously thought possible for human-built ships.
But even that was just the beginning.
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Encounters in the Void
By 2003, William had reached the edge of the Oort Cloud, where the last remnants of Sol's influence faded into deep space. It was here that he encountered his first major obstacle—a gravitational anomaly unlike anything recorded before. His ship's sensors detected a warping of space-time, a distortion that should not have existed naturally.
He had two choices: turn back and recalculate his course or go through it and risk everything.
William chose the latter.
The anomaly threw the Golden Horizon off course, slingshotting the ship into an uncharted sector. When he regained control, he found himself light-years away from his intended trajectory, dangerously close to a derelict alien craft drifting through the void.
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Curiosity took over.
Salvaging the alien wreckage revealed something astonishing—a partial star map, one that hinted at faster-than-light (FTL) pathways known only to advanced civilizations. This discovery changed everything. If he could decode and integrate the alien data, it would accelerate his journey tenfold.
But time was against him. The ship was running on limited resources, and he needed to push forward before the lack of fuel and food became critical.
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Breakthrough: The First Jump Drive Prototype
With two years of relentless research, by 2005, William had reverse-engineered a working prototype of an FTL-capable drive—not yet perfect, but functional. The moment of truth came when he activated the jump drive, aimed at a nearby system mapped by the alien wreckage.
The ship lurched violently, space twisted around him, and for a brief moment, he saw something beyond comprehension—flashes of distant galaxies, incomprehensible cosmic structures, a glimpse of a greater universe.
When the jump was completed, he found himself thousands of light-years ahead of schedule.
This was the true turning point. The journey that once seemed impossible was now within reach. But every advancement came with new dangers.
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As William Lin recalibrated his ship, he knew one thing: this was just the beginning.
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As William Lin pushed the Golden Horizon further into the depths of uncharted space, every breakthrough brought him closer to his ultimate goal—Xandar. By late 2005, he had perfected the ship's fusion reactor, vastly increasing its energy efficiency. Yet, the vastness of the cosmos was unforgiving, and challenges continued to mount.
The year 2006: The Discovery of the Cosmic Currents
In the vast void between solar systems, William encountered a phenomenon he had theorized but never confirmed—the existence of cosmic currents. These natural pathways of charged particles and gravitational eddies could be harnessed for faster-than-light travel without excessive energy expenditure. It was during an intense research phase in a distant system that he managed to integrate this discovery into the Golden Horizon's navigation system.
With the combination of refined quantum thrusters and precise gravitational field manipulation, he achieved something previously thought impossible—riding the cosmic currents to enhance speed exponentially. The ship, once reliant solely on controlled warp jumps, could now glide through space with a fraction of the energy cost.
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2007: The AI Evolution and Self-Sustaining Systems
Realizing the need for constant monitoring of his ship's integrity, William made significant advancements in the Golden Horizon's onboard AI. The artificial intelligence, now named Orion, evolved beyond simple navigation and system maintenance. Orion could now predict gravitational anomalies, optimize power distribution, and even assist in biological sustainment, reducing William's need for cryo-sleep periods.
With Orion's help, William further refined the ship's self-sustaining ecosystem—a hydroponic farm that could recycle waste and generate oxygen. He no longer had to rely on reserves from Earth, making the Golden Horizon fully independent.
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Late 2007 - 2008: A Near-Disastrous Encounter
Despite these advancements, space remained treacherous. As he neared the outskirts of the Andromeda Galaxy, William detected an unidentified fleet. Initially assuming it to be remnants of the Skrulls or Kree, he remained on high alert. However, it turned out to be a rogue faction of intergalactic pirates scavenging for advanced technology.
A brutal dogfight ensued. The Golden Horizon, despite its speed, was outnumbered. William used his alchemy to reinforce the ship's structure mid-battle while simultaneously overclocking the energy weapons. In the climax of the skirmish, he deployed an experimental plasma vortex weapon, destabilizing the pirate fleet's formations and allowing him to escape into a cosmic rift.
This battle served as a lesson. William realized that while his ship was technologically advanced, it lacked proper defensive measures for large-scale engagements. He dedicated the next year to fortifying its shield matrix, upgrading its kinetic barriers, and developing adaptive energy dampeners to counteract enemy weaponry.
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Early 2009: The Final Stretch to Xandar
By January 2009, William was approaching the Nova Empire's controlled space. His ship, now a pinnacle of cutting-edge technology (Earth's standard), was ready for its final challenge. However, Xandar's restricted space lanes and high security meant that unauthorized vessels were immediately flagged. He needed a way to bypass detection.
Using a combination of quantum cloaking technology and a false energy signature emitter, he disguised the Golden Horizon as an innocuous trade vessel. With Orion handling communications interception, he carefully navigated through restricted zones undetected.
Finally, in March 2009, after eight years of relentless research, battles, and upgrades, William Lin set his sights on the glowing blue planet of Xandar. The journey had transformed both him and the Golden Horizon into something beyond what he had ever imagined.
His mission was far from over. Now, he had to step into the heart of the Nova Empire and uncover the secrets of the cosmos firsthand.
—End of Journey—
~ End of Flashback ~
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To be continued...