Chapter 130: A Constrained World

The reply from the Stuo Civilization, while indeed somewhat ‘disappointing’, wasn’t actually far beyond Human Civilization’s expectations regarding the distribution of civilizations within the universe.

The Stuo Civilization was the first truly extraterrestrial civilization Human Civilization had made contact with.

Judging from this rate of contact, the distribution of civilizations in the universe, or even specifically within the Milky Way Galaxy near the Solar System, probably wasn’t very dense.

Of course, even assuming all the information provided by the Stuo Civilization was genuine,

it merely represented their current technological understanding of the universe, and might not reflect the true, complete picture of inter-civilizational existence.

Logically speaking, intelligent civilizations at different stages of development likely possessed vastly different perceptions and understandings of the universe and their world.

“…That’s truly a regrettable matter. The sparseness of civilization distribution makes exchanges difficult and makes achieving mutual progress and development even harder.”

“The meeting between our Human Civilization and yours seems even more of a miracle.”

On the Human side, communication with the Stuo Civilization remained handled by the Social Philosophy Department of the Negentropy Research Institute and other relevant research teams.

“To ensure this miraculous meeting yields better results for exchange, we hope both our civilizations can significantly increase their foundational understanding of each other.”

“We wonder if our subsequent questions might be offensive. If any offense is caused, we sincerely hope your civilization will understand and forgive the differences stemming from our distinct backgrounds.”

“Previously in your reply, you mentioned that your civilization, like ours, is a carbon-based group civilization. We wish to know: how do individuals in your civilization normally maintain their energy levels?”

The most straightforward way for two civilizations to establish fundamental mutual understanding

would be to directly exchange comprehensive fact-sheets about their respective societies.

However, this was clearly impractical under the actual circumstances.

Uncertain of their differences, both Human Civilization and the Stuo Civilization were understandably cautious.

They could only proceed step by step through mutual probing.

“Distinguished Human Civilization, we concur with your perspective. More foundational information exchange is necessary for establishing trust between our two civilizations.”

“We replenish our energy by ingesting and digesting other biological matter or substances.”

“We are curious: in what manner do individuals within Human Civilization sustain their own survival?”

“Additionally, we wish to know: how do members of Human Civilization communicate and exchange information with each other, especially in primitive environments devoid of ‘technology’?”

The two civilizations carefully probed,

asking only very fundamental questions. Yet these very foundations deeply shaped, and fundamentally defined, the nature of a civilization.

Just like Humans also sustained themselves through eating.

Throughout history, a vast majority of Human activity revolved around this necessity.

The historical expansion of Human territorial domains was largely driven by the desire to secure more food sources.

For Human Civilization, the Stuo reply was an ambiguous piece of news.

The positive aspect: understanding that the Stuo sustained themselves through consumption made it easier to grasp the underlying logic of their behavior.

The negative aspect: a reliance on consuming external resources for energy inherently suggested a civilization with predatory tendices and an expansive nature.

In summarizing the Stuo information, after duly noting the ‘consumption’ hypothesis,

Human Civilization continued its response:

“Human Civilization also maintains survival through ingestion. Regarding other civilizations the Stuo Civilization has previously encountered: were most carbon-based civilizations dependent on this method for energy?”

“Addressing your second question: in more primitive societies, we communicated using ‘sound’.”

“We are also curious: how do individuals within the Stuo Civilization communicate amongst themselves?”

Thus, between the two civilizations,

this exchange continued, marked by immense ‘delays’.

While asking such foundational questions one by one,

Human Civilization also began, using the gathered information, to sketch a picture of the Stuo Civilization as a whole and its individuals.

Presumably, within the Stuo Civilization, a similar process of deduction was unfolding.

…

49th year of the Human United Era.

Although the vast majority of Humanity were focused on the progress of the Stuo communication,

One event still inevitably captured significant public attention.

– The universal popularization of Entropy Memory Serum was achieved within Human Civilization this year.

Furthermore, the first generation of infants born using the new Memory Enhancement Technology based on human neural mechanisms were also delivered.

All nearly three hundred million newborns this year received the treatment.

Predicted outcomes indicated that these enhanced individuals would exhibit significantly improved memory capabilities compared to preceding generations upon maturation.

The Entropy Memory Serum itself was originally merely a derivative of Qin Yu’s research into human memory enhancement.

While offering benefits for current adults, the core Memory Enhancement Technology held its most transformative potential for the new generations.

If not for the looming presence of the Stuo Civilization and its direct impact on Humanity’s future,

this year – marked by the universal rollout of Entropy Memory Serum and the widespread adoption of Memory Enhancement Technology –

would still have stood out as a significant milestone in human history.

And even though the Stuo arrival cast an anxious shadow over individual and collective fate,

with Strong Artificial Intelligence managing essential societal operations, and the Negentropy Research Institute continuing to guide scientific advancement,

the HCC(Human Coalition) clearly didn’t abandon its planned path either.

According to Strong Artificial Intelligence statistics for the year,

driven significantly by indirect effects from the overall rise in individual memory capabilities,

the Human Civilization’s average intelligence level, measured by traditional standards, increased from 132 to 136.

While merely a four-point gain, the jump was substantial considering it was an average across the entire population.

Furthermore, it represented a reversal against a prior trend; average intelligence had been falling during the period of societal “Inertial State”.

Measured from the cyclical low point before the HCC era, the increase was even more significant.

It also implied potential was still untapped; the memory serum’s positive impact on average intelligence hadn’t yet peaked.

Surviving the immediate challenge posed by the extraterrestrial visitor promised continued recovery from the societal inertia.

Combined with the rise of the first enhanced generation, human average intelligence was poised for further increase.

“…The average IQ went up that much? Why don’t I feel any different?”

“The increase is broad-based; it doesn’t mean you suddenly became a super-genius overnight… But the Entropy Memory Serum is fantastic for memory. I’m nearly 140, and I was definitely feeling the brain fog before. Now, my thinking just feels sharper.”

“…The real payoff from this memory boost is probably long-term for our whole civilization, right? … Sigh, I wonder how the contact with that Stuo Civilization is really going?”

“The fact that we haven’t come to blows with them yet is good news. It likely means the Stuo aren’t heavily inclined towards aggression against us.”

Even conversations ostensibly about the biometric serum

invariably circled back to the Stuo.

The unresolved Stuo situation

left an undeniable air of tension hanging over all of Human Society during this period.

If we had to name the place with the most tense and oppressive atmosphere,

it would probably be Spark Space City, the core of Human Civilization’s Spark Project, at this moment.

Ever since the plan was activated and they departed from the original Martian Orbit,

Spark Space City had entered a state of crisis emergency.

The entire operation of Spark Space City was solely dedicated to the continued survival of Human Civilization.

While ensuring the basic survival of all people inside,

all other productive forces were shifted to tasks like producing new propulsion engines.

However, everyone inside Spark Space City understood what its departure meant,

so no one really had grounds for complaint.

Additionally, after receiving the dt03-3 propulsion system technology transmission,

Spark Space City severed contact with Human Civilization’s rear settlements.

This was to prevent hostile civilizations from easily detecting Spark Space City’s location under extreme circumstances.

According to the plan, once Spark Space City departed, it could no longer contact its home planet or the settlements.

Only the home planet or the rear settlements could initiate contact with Spark Space City.

Even if the crisis was over, only the rear settlements could seek out and retrieve Spark Space City;

Spark Space City itself couldn’t choose to return.

Still,

even though the people inside Spark Space City held no resentment about the situation,

feeling suppressed under these circumstances was unavoidable.

If the worst happened, everyone inside Spark Space City would lose their hometowns and homes.

They would be adrift in the universe aboard this lone island.

Even if they somehow escaped,

they had no idea how long, or how many generations, it would take to return to their familiar home planet.

And if they couldn’t escape under those extreme circumstances,

they would perish somewhere in the vast universe, along with the rest of Human Civilization,

their end unknown.

Compared to those still living in the settlements,

they were both lucky and unlucky.

Lucky because, if there was a chance for survival,

their survival prospects aboard Spark Space City were definitely higher.

Unlucky because,

while settlements deeper in the Inner Solar System could still understand the general state of Human Civilization’s exchanges with Stuo Civilization,

the people inside Spark Space City were more confused and lost.

“… Can’t sleep. What to do? My mind is too restless, I can’t even focus on thinking about previous project topics. What do you guys think is really happening back home?”

“Should be fine, right? We haven’t picked up any major commotion from the Earth or Mars direction?”

“Get the Medical Robot to give you some medicine… I can’t sleep either. Could it be, you know… in the days we haven’t contacted Earth or Mars… that maybe…”

“Will you stop saying stuff like that…? Just try to think positive, okay?”

Anxious, tense, and tossing and turning described the state of the vast majority aboard Spark Space City.

Yet, even at this stage,

the risk from Human Civilization’s encounter with Stuo Civilization still remained.

Under these circumstances,

it truly wasn’t possible yet to recall Spark Space City.

Simultaneously, Spark Space City, which was gradually accelerating to its maximum speed,

had made further preparations.

If the city suffered an unknown attack, or if other necessary circumstances arose,

it was ready to jettison the Doomsday Gene Bank into the vast universe as Human Civilization’s final contingency plan.

…

Time moved forward from HUE Year 49,

all the way to HUE Year 54.

Communication continued between Human Civilization and Stuo Civilization’s Interstellar Fleet.

The time needed for a communication round trip also shortened.

It started requiring over eleven months,

then gradually reduced to six months, then four months,

and finally, to less than two months.

The increasing frequency of exchanges, enabled by the decreasing communication ‘delay’,

also meant Stuo Civilization’s Interstellar Fleet was getting closer and closer to Human Civilization’s settlements.

By that year, the distance between Stuo Civilization’s Interstellar Fleet and Earth was less than 0.1 light-year.

On the cosmic scale, and for two civilizations, this distance was extremely close.

At this range, and with the enhanced density of the Outlook Observation Array built during those years,

Human Civilization’s observations of Stuo Civilization’s Stellar Fleet became clearer.

The largest target within the migrating fleet differed significantly from Human Civilization’s understanding of a ‘ship’.

Its shape was mostly an irregular sphere.

It resembled a Moon-sized body made of metal.

Calling it a Planetary Fortress might be more fitting.

Surrounding this Planetary Fortress were fifteen smaller, also spherical, interstellar vehicles,

each about five hundred kilometers in diameter.

They travelled with the fortress, like its satellites.

Additionally, more than a hundred smaller spherical space vehicles were detected,

approximately one hundred kilometers in diameter each.

These were orbiting around the fifteen medium-sized spherical vehicles of the second tier.

Overall, Stuo Civilization’s Interstellar Fleet was astonishingly large.

Through the ongoing exchanges between Human Civilization and Stuo Civilization,

while Human Civilization revealed some basic information about itself to Stuo Civilization,

it also managed to learn some fundamental aspects about Stuo Civilization.

Possibly because both were carbon-based civilizations,

they shared similarities in many basic contexts.

Individuals belonging to Stuo Civilization possessed basic senses like sight and hearing, and the ability to vocalize.

Consequently, their civilization also used language for basic communication, enabling coordination between individuals.

Stuo Civilization mentioned that their home planet has extensive land masses

and relatively little ocean.

Most of its land was desert.

Diverse life flourished only near the edges of the land, close to the ocean.

Stuo Civilization began surviving on these land edges and gradually expanded.

However, when discussing history or their current social structure,

Human Civilization quickly noticed differences between the two civilizations.

Stuo Civilization did not reproduce using genders like Human Civilization.

Within Stuo Civilization, divisions like ‘male’ or ‘female’ did not exist.

According to the information provided by Stuo Civilization,

individuals roughly employed a form of ‘self-splitting’ reproduction to ensure the civilization’s continuity.

Because of this, Stuo Civilization lacked the historical events related to this concept that existed in Human Civilization.

Additionally,

possibly linked to this, Stuo Civilization never experienced an era like Human Civilization’s ‘Age of Nations’.

Stuo Civilization had gradually expanded outwards from initial tribal groups.

Though internal wars and tribal splits occurred during this growth,

they quickly reintegrated time and time again.