Chapter 85: The First Batch

Research into better superconducting materials needed for Helium-3 Fusion began under Qin Yu’s leadership at the Negentropy Research Institute’s Materials Research Institute and other relevant teams.

The operating model was basically the same as for previous important projects at the Negentropy Institute.

Qin Yu didn’t think about relying on luck at all. Similar to other research efforts,

they started from basic scientific theories. After making some breakthroughs in Computational Materials Science, they used the data available to build a better theory framework for superconducting materials.

Based on this new framework, they first made a theoretical prediction about the superconductor they wanted to create.

Then, starting from the theory, they roughly outlined several possible ways to get from current materials to this predicted superconductor.

With plenty of resources and given the urgency of the situation, the Negentropy Institute’s Materials Research Institute naturally pursued several of these possible research paths at the same time.

As this happened, new experimental data piled up and came back to Qin Yu.

He used it to improve and adjust the original superconductor theory.

This led them to adjust the research paths again, narrowing down step by step, pushing closer and closer to that theoretically predicted, better superconductor, until it was fully realized.

For the researchers at the Negentropy Research Institute, this was the most common working method, and they were used to it.

Academician Qin Yu gave each team a clear direction to follow.

The teams then pushed forward along that path according to Qin Yu’s demands, steadily achieving the goals Qin Yu set, which were always realistic and achievable.

Finally, all the results from the teams came back to Academician Qin Yu, and the research reached a whole new level.

Without a doubt,

at least when Qin Yu was leading them, this research model was the most efficient.

It let Qin Yu’s ‘Super Brain’ work to its full potential. It also let the whole research institute and all the teams perform their best, giving Qin Yu the fullest support and achieving the tightest teamwork.

For the researchers at the Negentropy Institute’s Materials Research Institute,

Academician Qin Yu always managed to point out a clear direction even among many difficulties. They just had to follow Professor Qin Yu ‘charging forward’ to break through problems in their research.

They could see their own projects and team responsibilities moving forward quickly.

This feeling was incredibly satisfying for all these scientists.

It was through this process that research on this new material advanced rapidly.

…

April, 281.

Two months later, under the leadership of Academician Qin Yu, the Negentropy Institute’s Materials Research Institute had several research paths going simultaneously.

During the research, some possible pathways were abandoned or ruled out.

Even though this meant failure,

right now, it was actually a good thing.

It meant that out of the limited options, some wrong answers were being crossed out.

The researchers and teams freed up from the dead-end paths could then focus on the remaining paths, speeding up the whole effort.

At this point, the researchers could already predict the arrival of this new superconductor material.

Meanwhile,

though he wasn’t directly involved all the time, Qin Yu was still keeping an eye on the development of other parts for the laser weapon meant to deflect Asteroid 2801.

While the Helium-3 Fusion Reactor was crucial as the energy source for this High-Power Laser Weapon,

the whole weapon clearly wasn’t complete with just the reactor.

Achieving the powerful laser weapon Qin Yu imagined, under ideal conditions, still faced many other challenges.

However,

compared to the energy issue solved by the Helium-3 Fusion Reactor, the other problems were much easier.

Whether during earlier Deuterium-Tritium Fusion Reactor research or now with the Helium-3 Fusion Reactor research, questions about fusion ignition

had accumulated a lot of knowledge in laser technology. This knowledge was now perfectly useful for building this High-Power Laser Weapon.

Currently, multiple research teams across various institutes at the Negentropy Institute were involved in developing this High-Power Laser Weapon.

Qin Yu also offered his opinions occasionally.

Based on how things were going, the design work on the other parts, the other systems for this laser weapon, would likely finish before the Helium-3 Fusion Reactor, assuming the Helium-3 reactor would be used as the power source.

June.

All the research on the new superconductor finally converged onto the last remaining path.

Along this path, under Qin Yu’s guidance, the researchers and teams made their final push towards creating the new material predicted by their theory.

For the researchers and scientists, at this stage, they didn’t really need Academician Qin Yu to spell it out – they could feel it themselves. They were very close to the project’s final goal.

Maybe just a step or two away.

The new superconductor they had predicted would soon be right before their eyes.

At the same time,

as time moved into June,

the countdown to Asteroid 2801’s impact with Earth stood at only nine months left.

The remaining months had shifted from double digits to single digits.

People couldn’t help feeling more anxious and afraid.

A coming Doomsday Crisis was changing everyone’s fate.

This huge uncertainty about the future made countless people feel deeply uneasy.

According to statistics from the Strong Artificial Intelligence as part of the Brain Intelligence Project,

the number of people seeking psychological care from medical services had surged recently.

The only thing giving people some comfort was

that work on the Underground Shelter Cities was going very smoothly,

aided by Strong AI and supported by vast numbers of Intelligent Machinery.

But this also meant many people spent almost every waking hour following the progress of the various shelter city constructions, glued to live feeds of the Underground Shelter City building sites.

With nerves constantly stretched thin, any little thing that happened during the construction – good or bad – instantly became the hottest topic across the entire network.

This actually highlighted how tense the entire civilization was right now.

The feeling of ‘impending doom’ had never been this close, never been this severe.

…

Time moved forward to July.

For people across the Huaxia Nation, a piece of good news arrived this month.

The first Underground Refuge Cities that began construction were now completed in their basic form – fit for people to live in.

For the Huaxia Nation,

even in this era, moving billions of people down into the Underground Refuge Cities couldn’t possibly all happen at the last minute.

So, naturally,

once these first shelters met basic habitability, the first group of people to move down had to be chosen.

For people, this selection process was naturally seen as a positive development.

At this tense and anxious moment, with the Doomsday Crisis step by step approaching,

the living conditions in the Underground Shelter City might be worse, but at least getting the qualification to enter now meant not worrying too much about the impending doom.

The first batch of migration slots

was basically fair in this era of widespread Collective Social Rearing.

But it didn’t mean everyone had absolutely equal chances to get into the Underground Shelter City.

After discussions, the first group allowed to migrate into the Underground Shelter City was decided to number twenty million people.

This definitely wasn’t the maximum capacity of the first Underground Shelter City, as its construction wasn’t fully completed anyway.

When these first residents entered, it would allow officials to make minor adjustments to later Underground Shelter Cities based on how things ran.

Ultimately, the goal was to fill all Underground Shelter Cities as much as possible.

The strategy for selecting these first twenty million people

was this:

First, two million spots were immediately set aside, not part of the general lottery.

These were directly granted to researchers with past scientific achievements who could continue making outstanding contributions to Human Civilization.

The remaining 18 million spots followed a 90-10 ratio.

Within the Huaxia Nation, ninety percent went to people randomly selected from those aged 10 to 150.

The remaining ten percent came from children under 10 and seniors over 150.

Winning slots couldn’t be traded or sold; they were only for the winner, though they could choose to give them up voluntarily.

The actual selection was handled by a Strong Artificial Intelligence.

In some ways, this method seemed a bit too coldly rational.

But this was the outcome finally decided after much deliberation by the authorities.

After the announcement, most people didn’t really object.

At this critical moment for civilization’s survival,

everything had to prioritize the continuation of Human Civilization as a whole.

Only then came saving as many lives as possible within that civilization.

After this plan was released as a news announcement,

a specific lottery time was also revealed: the afternoon of the same day the news broke.

With a Strong Artificial Intelligence handling it, there wasn’t much people needed to do,

just wait for the results.

So,

later that same afternoon, once the selection time had passed,

Huaxin News Agency released a news flash informing everyone that the lottery for Underground Shelter City spots had concluded.

At the same time, everyone who won a slot got an official text message.

Even the very few not using a smart device received immediate notification: an Intelligent Robot visited them,

or public information kiosks displayed the results for the winners.

“Holy crap! I got it! I won a spot!”

That day, people who’d been anxiously waiting online couldn’t hold back anymore. Fierce and lively discussions exploded.

“So jealous. I didn’t get one. But hey, whatever. I heard living space is tiny down in those Underground Shelter Cities. Going down early would just mean suffering longer. I’ll go later, suffer less… okay fine, I’m crying with envy right now!”

“Whew… I got it too. Can’t believe my luck, being picked in the first batch. Sleeping sound tonight.”

“Me too! When do we move? How? What can I bring?”

“Relax, an announcement should come soon… Wait, hold up, wasn’t there only eighteen million spots? How are so many people here already saying they won?”

“Possible explanation? People like me who didn’t win really don’t feel like talking right now… Huh? I got a text too! Says I won? Why so much later than you guys? Something up with my signal?”

“Heh, I got picked. But nah, I’m not going. I’m past 160, this life’s been plenty. Giving up my slot. They’ll probably squeeze us old folks in at the end if they can fit us; if not, whatever. Bet I’m not the only one thinking this. The freed-up spots will just go back for a redraw.”

“Hey, come on! If you got it, just go…”

The online buzz continued.

Proportionally, twenty million people selected meant less than one percent of Huaxia Nation’s total population got a spot.

But the vast majority, whether they won or not, remained intensely focused on the developments.

Just as expected,

right after the twenty million winners were finalized,

Huaxin News Agency soon published specific migration details for this first group heading to the Underground Shelter Cities.

First,

Migration would happen very quickly. Using the transportation systems of the Intelligent Era,

all twenty million would be transported from their original locations into the various partially-built Underground Shelter Cities within a week, maximum.

Starting immediately, winners could begin preparing.

Second,

Those migrating to the Underground Shelter City could each take only fifty kilograms of personal belongings.

Since strict rationing would remain in place inside the shelters for a long time,

people wouldn’t need to bring much anyway. For most, the fifty-kilo limit

was mainly for bringing personal keepsakes.

Third, if one spouse won a slot but the other didn’t, that person could choose to keep the slot without entering the Underground Shelter City immediately…

…

With the Doomsday Crisis looming,

time itself was always tight.

By the time many winners saw news reports about these migration rules,

as mentioned in those reports, they had already received a text message or other notification.

They were instructed to pack their things,

leave home (or wherever they were),

and head to any roadside within hours.

The smart transport system would then take them, using various methods,

to the Underground Shelter City where they would live.

So,

people who got the notice hurriedly decided what to bring while hastily saying goodbye to friends in their current lives.

The silver lining, thankfully,

was that communication signals still worked underground in the mostly-built shelters.

Winners entering earlier could stay in touch online with friends above ground.

This eased the future anxiety for those first migrants heading into the Underground Shelter Cities.

The plan to avoid the Doomsday Crisis

by migrating underground thus launched with massive scale and momentum.

Mainstream media like Huaxin News Agency, responding to public interest, started providing live coverage of the entire migration process.