Chapter 81: A Chance Convergence

At the same time.

North American State.

Private Laboratory.

The elderly researcher, who had been somewhat drowsy and bleary-eyed, now stared wide in shock.

He had received news of the Asteroid 2801 Impact Crisis over the network.

Watching the seemingly endless stream of related reports flashing across the screen,

he swayed slightly while seated on the edge of his bed, perhaps because of the alcohol.

In truth, days earlier, driven by fury, he had vowed that history must remember what his family’s three generations had done—no matter the cost.

Yet, the elderly researcher had still taken no direct action.

He was an indecisive and hesitant man.

Persistence in researching that special virus until now was largely due to this trait.

After reaching adulthood and inheriting the study of this virus,

he had countless times angrily wished to abandon the research. He wanted to live his own life, to free himself from the cage that had confined them for over two hundred years.

But he could never summon the true resolve. Trapped by this indecision, unable to break free from the inertia of his existence, he drifted into the present.

Then, with a jolt, he realized most of his life had passed; it was too late for other possibilities.

Much of his life had vanished in endless wavering.

This hesitation, regret, and pain remained unchanged, even after the earlier angry decision.

These past days, he drowned himself in alcohol, trying desperately to escape the anguish.

Amidst this, driven by an unwillingness to give up entirely, he stumbled back into the laboratory.

He ran another study on that special virus.

In his despair, his protective measures were dangerously lax this time.

It was as if he secretly wanted fate to intervene and make the decision for him.

But whether it was good or bad luck remained unclear—fate made no choice for him.

He simply wrestled with his agony for several more days.

However,

at this very moment, everything changed.

The relentless march of history had cornered him.

The profound resolve he could never find…

The bursts of extreme fury that bubbled up, yet always faded without action…

Besides his stubbornness and refusal to yield,

it was chiefly because he knew, though old, he likely had decades left.

What if… What if in a few more years, the research on this special virus actually bore fruit?

If history had unfolded routinely,

he might have suffered this agony, struggling until his dying breath.

His present fury might well have eroded away over those final decades.

Then, following the familiar inertia of his life, he might have passed away suddenly—leaving nothing changed.

That special virus might have faded into an obscure corner of history with his death, its existence forever unknown.

But history’s path is never without twists of fate.

Everything shifted because of this sudden, immense threat—the Asteroid 2801 Impact Crisis.

The expectations for decades that the elderly researcher held instantly crumbled.

Everything was about to end.

Though the Huaxia Nation announced plans to build underground shelters,

his location was the North American State.

Even under the fairest selection process for the North American State shelters,

he was guaranteed exclusion.

He was old. Investing most of his life into that special virus meant

he truly had little to show for his years.

He wasn’t an outstanding researcher. He didn’t even possess friends.

Now, faced inevitably with this abrupt, absolute conclusion,

the elderly researcher’s fury surged uncontrollably once more.

Would over two hundred years of continuous research on this special virus

really end like this?

Just vanish as if it never happened?

But his whole life… he’d poured it into this!

Sitting stiffly on the edge of his bed, body swaying faintly,

his eyes burned red.

Identical to the last time, drastic thoughts sprouted in his mind, quickly overwhelming reason.

This time, however, the timing lent these thoughts far more urgency.

When facing the apocalypse—or rather, facing the sudden, brutal halt of all expected futures, the abrupt end of everything—

some choose to cherish the final fragments of time.

Some flow with their life’s inertia until the last moment arrives.

And inevitably, some plunge into madness.

This elderly researcher…

stood up.

This time, he bypassed all safety protocols. He stormed straight into the laboratory.

His heart screamed rebellion.

He rebelled against the emptiness—the three generations of his family, two hundred, nearly three hundred years amounting to nothing.

He rebelled against his father dying burdened by this unfulfilled work—leaving no ripple in history.

He rebelled, above all, against his own life—consumed entirely, leaving behind not a shred of meaning at the end.

He could not accept it—simply could not—

that this special virus, this consuming endeavor, would vanish untouched into the apocalypse and his grave as if it never existed.

Just…

just what had he, his father, and his grandfather—three generations and over two hundred years—actually been doing?

He would far rather…

in these final fleeting moments of Huaxia Nation

Let history remember him!

Right now,

under the Doomsday Crisis, Human Civilization didn’t have much time left.

The elderly Researcher who entered the Laboratory this time,

came into direct contact with this special virus.

He knew,

given how quickly this special virus spread,

he was bound to be infected.

However, within the few days he had left,

it was enough time for him to cultivate sufficient quantities of this special virus.

…

Negentropy Research Institute.

At this moment inside the Negentropy Research Institute, all research departments

were operating intensely, focused entirely on dealing with the Doomsday Crisis.

Just like last time when responding to the 236 Algae Spread Crisis,

the Negentropy Research Institute, now essentially the core scientific research center of the entire Human Civilization, naturally had a major role, even dominated, the response to the Asteroid 2801 impact crisis.

It was once again fulfilling the direct mission assigned at its founding.

For the most crucial part of tackling the Doomsday Crisis—the construction of large-scale Underground Refuge Cities—

collaborating researchers from various teams had worked together to produce a relatively comprehensive plan during this time.

Priorities for establishing the advanced industrial and technological systems within the Underground Refuge Cities were also set based on specialized input from different fields.

Regarding the specific measures and planned arrangements for the whole of Human Civilization leading up to the Doomsday Crisis,

the relevant researcher teams at the Negentropy Research Institute also participated in the discussions and decision-making process with that Senior Leader.

Furthermore, within the Negentropy Research Institute, influenced by the larger environment of the Doomsday Crisis,

all research teams had adjusted their previously ongoing projects.

They prioritized keeping research directions that would help with the construction of the Underground Refuge Cities and aid development and rebuilding after the disaster.

All resources were now directed towards meeting the Doomsday Crisis head-on.

Although Qin Yu followed these developments, clearly his direct involvement wasn’t necessary.

For now,

Qin Yu was focusing much more on continuing the Helium-3 Fusion research he was pushing forward before.

The main reason was that no matter what situation Human Civilization faced next,

more advanced energy production methods would definitely be a huge benefit.

If Helium-3 Fusion could be achieved before the Doomsday Crisis arrived,

building the Underground Refuge Cities would be much easier.

Human Civilization would also have better chances to keep developing even under extreme conditions.

Moreover,

the Doomsday Crisis was temporary. Human Civilization would still need to move forward after the disaster passed.

The need for Helium-3 Fusion still existed as before.

However, Qin Yu himself wasn’t sure if they could make the breakthrough in this time-consuming Helium-3 Fusion research before the Doomsday Crisis struck.

Right then,

putting aside some thoughts on turbulence problems,

Qin Yu picked up a summary report of recent tracking observations on Asteroid 2801.

After the Asteroid 2801 impact crisis was made public,

every observation device on Earth capable of tracking Asteroid 2801, except those kept for other essential tasks, was now dedicated solely to monitoring it.

The conclusion drawn from this wealth of observational data

was the repeated verification of their previous findings.

As Asteroid 2801 drew closer, its speed showed no signs of significantly slowing down.

Its trajectory didn’t show any unexpected changes either.

An impact between Asteroid 2801 and Earth now seemed basically unavoidable.

At this moment, Qin Yu and his related research team at the Negentropy Research Institute,

were, besides working on Helium-3 Fusion,

also continuing to research whether it was possible to find something that could directly affect Asteroid 2801 while actively preparing for the Doomsday Crisis.

While stopping the collision might be impossible,

could they perhaps lessen its impact on Earth?

Holding this batch of summarized data, Qin Yu narrowed his eyes.

After a long while, he put it down again, looked into the distance, and pondered some more.

The emergence of this Asteroid 2801 impact crisis

could be said to be really sudden.

Coming after the 236 Algae Spread Crisis,

the Asteroid 2801 crisis marked the second Doomsday Crisis faced by Earth’s Human Civilization within this century.

Wasn’t this somewhat too frequent?

Was it just coincidence, or some kind of inevitability?

If the 236 Algae Spread Crisis was a random event bound to happen over long stretches of time,

was the arrival of Asteroid 2801 the same thing?

An irregular, massive ‘chunk’ of metal,

hurtling towards Earth at a speed surpassing all previously observed meteors, almost as if precisely timed.

0.8% of the speed of light – where did this asteroid get its initial velocity?

In a way,

this thing honestly looked much more like a weapon.

But given the current circumstances,

dwelling on this point probably didn’t achieve much.

Surviving this Doomsday Crisis had to come first right now.

Everything else could come later.

…

Right now, outside the Negentropy Research Institute.

Within the Huaxia Nation, indeed across the entire world,

Everyone was running busily with the same purpose.

Across Huaxia Nation,

the advantages of Strong Artificial Intelligence managing the entire smart industrial production system became fully evident now.

Once the entire civilization entered emergency contingency mode,

a single command triggered a swift shift in industrial production –

activities across multiple fields quickly pivoted

toward constructing Underground Shelter Cities and preparing for doomsday.

Daily societal function adapted similarly.

Currently within Huaxia Nation,

despite tension under the Doomsday Crisis forcing people to accept rapid societal changes,

things remained relatively stable with order mostly intact.

First, building the Underground Refuge Cities gave everyone a glimmer of hope.

They knew these cities, built in just 19 months, might struggle to shelter

all 2.5 billion people within Huaxia Nation.

Yet hope existed, and it wasn’t small.

Second, Strong Artificial Intelligence, managing society’s infrastructure, possessed ample power

to maintain order with minimal human labor.

Third, people felt certain their survival chances were fair.

Collective Social Rearing ensured basic equity,

while Strong Artificial Intelligence guaranteed greater fairness.

Quiestioning who’d enter the shelters was rare.

This month,

the 19th month before the predicted Doomsday Crisis and the first since announcing the Asteroid 2801 Impact Crisis,

saw many specific counter-crisis measures announced and rolled out.

…

First, existing population growth plans were suspended immediately.

Until the crisis arrived and stability returned,

the Social Upbringing Bureau would permit no new births.

Existing resources would prioritize helping current populations survive.

Only this era could achieve this.

Conversely,

people who retired early around age ninety due to the transition into the Intelligent Era,

were now ordered back to work,

except those deemed too elderly past a hundred and sixty.

In truth, the Intelligent Era demanded little human labor,

but keeping everyone occupied was crucial.

Even meaningless tasks beat idle worry.

Those utterly jobless were sent for retraining in universities.

Most accepted this gladly –

under such circumstances, countless wished to contribute actively.

It offered an emotional outlet.

Additionally,

nearly all non-essential production and services halted across society.

Under emergency contingency,

Strong Artificial Intelligence imposed rationing for food and basic necessities.

Previously, despite the fading concept of traditional markets –

with Intelligent Machinery and Intelligent Robots handling resource extraction, production, services, and sales,

while humans solely consumed –

Strong Artificial Intelligence coordinated production based on needs.

People spent symbolic currency with vast choices,

even exceeding pre-Intelligent Era options due to innovative roles.

Now, choices vanished.

To confront the Doomsday Crisis, Strong Artificial Intelligence halted all non-essential production per plan.

Each person received a strict quota for resource access.

Most productivity shifted to crisis response.

Food variety drastically reduced.

Maximum resource conservation ensured only basic needs were met,

saving current supplies.

People generally understood.

Every saved resource might secure their spot in an Underground Refuge City.

Across agricultural regions,

Intelligent Machinery farmed intensively under Strong Artificial Intelligence’s coordination.

Harvested crops would be stored inside Underground Shelter Cities.

Though within these shelters,

Vertical Farms using Controlled Nuclear Fusion energy would allow some food production,

extra reserves were vital for extreme contingencies.