Along the coast of Linghu Wetland Park is the Seventh Research Institute of Shuguang City, which is affiliated with the scientific expedition team.
This is a special research unit established by the scientific expedition team to focus on "topics related to Nanmen II and Pioneer Civilization". It was not officially put into use until the beginning of the month, with a staff of 227 people.
By the standards of the wasteland, this amount is quite sufficient, especially for a new research institution that has just been established and does not have many projects.
Not only does it have a lot of manpower and a sufficient budget, the institute's senior researchers are also experts in the alliance's scientific research system.
For example, the director, Dai Huaian, is 35 years old and comes from Vault 276. His research direction is high-energy physics and he served as a professor at Camp 101 for a period of time.
Later, recommended by Dr. Method, he joined the alliance's scientific expedition team and held important positions in related research institutions. Both his ability and resume can be described as outstanding.
Another example is Yaric, a physicist from Vault 337, and Lin Dong, a former F-class prospector from the Wandering Swamp Science and Technology Committee, etc.
Although the resumes of these researchers are a little thinner than those of Director Dai, their knowledge and abilities are not inferior to them, and they even surpass them in specific research directions. They are professional talents.
Currently, there are only alliances and colleges in the entire wasteland, which have shown strong interest in high-energy physics, a "future subject" with low short-term economic benefits.
If you add in the willingness to spend money and the conditional spending, it seems that only the alliance is left.
Coupled with the alliance's reputation outside, there is almost no need for the alliance to deliberately recruit. These talents who are of no use elsewhere are consciously sent to the door, and they are all ready to fight.
After all, the Wasteland Era is coming to an end soon. If you don't panic now, why wait?
Combining his expertise in high-energy physics, Director Dai quickly formulated a general research direction for the institute—to study the membrane between the universe and the universe.
In fact, there was no need for him to formulate this direction. The clues left by the ruins of the pioneer civilization had almost pointed out the way ahead for them, clearly telling them that there was a Creator in this world, and that the universe was nested layer by layer.
Just like a matryoshka doll.
Although this is the understanding of the universe by the "magic stick" civilization, after all, this magic stick is far ahead of human civilization, just like human civilization is far ahead of the civilization of the Doma people.
As long as they can continue to explore along the clues left by the pioneer civilization, they will surely be able to understand the truth that belongs to mankind just like the Doma people understood the Tree of Insof!
And it is the truth for materialists!
Director Dai has full confidence in this.
And just at this moment, Ye Shi, who was returning from Nanmen 2, brought a great gift to the "Seven Institutes" of the scientific expedition team - the "Cosmic Membrane Perforator"!
This relic is the work of Dr. Qiu Shiye who was inspired by the pioneer civilization!
It can even be said that the latter taught the former step by step!
Its effect is that after inputting a certain amount of energy, the matter of this universe can be transferred to the Creator's universe.
Although its principle is too advanced for current human civilization, and both the visible and invisible parts are as difficult to decipher as a secret, this does not prevent those who obtain it from using it directly.
Like a black box!
Later, a Burning Corps soldier named Ye Shi obtained inspiration from Dr. Qiu Shiye through his mastery of psychic energy, and learned how to use the perforator in reverse to "borrow" energy from the Creator's universe.
Although the word borrow is used, the energy borrowed does not need to be returned.
According to the clues left behind by the pioneer civilization, it can be known that a beam of light from the Creator's universe has energy comparable to that of a star when placed in the "created universe".
In other words, the things they borrowed from the Creator's universe are as tiny as a piece of dust, almost negligible.
I believe the "Creator" won't care either.
It is precisely for this reason that after several careful attempts, the Seventh Research Institute found that there was no safety hazard, so it immediately increased the frequency of experiments and worked overtime.
It’s not that Director Dai and the researchers are too impatient, it’s mainly that the prospects of this technology are so attractive!
Even a researcher who is a shelter resident and is not interested in money can see the economic value of this at a glance.
Once they understand the secrets, they will truly master endless energy and even change the way energy is obtained!
They will no longer have to rely on the light and heat in this universe, but can borrow a steady stream of energy from a higher universe!
The heat death of the universe will be reversed at this moment!
For human beings who have been pursuing more materials and energy all their lives, is there anything more tempting than this?
It is no exaggeration to say that they will create a new era based on the new era!
And this era will be more prosperous than the era of prosperity!
That will be the ascension of the entire human civilization!
Any material rewards and actual honors are insignificant compared to this great cause.
Moreover, the route to Nanmen II has not yet been opened, and the plan to establish an observation station in the synchronous orbit of the Gaia planet is still in the draft stage. The entire institute only has one project to study, the "punch instrument".
After several attempts at retracting and releasing freely, researchers at the 7th Institute have evolved from the initial "cutting through walls to borrow light" to sending different things to the Creator Universe.
At first they teleported a rat, but later they tried teleporting many-legged beasts, mutated bears, slime mold fruiting bodies, and even Deathclaw cubs.
Originally, they planned to teleport the mammoth, but Dawn City Zoo did not agree, and they had not yet figured out how to get this thing into the underground laboratory, so they gave up.
Based on a series of tests, researchers from the Seventh Institute came to preliminary conclusions.
The maximum capture range of the transmitted beam ranges from 5 to 10m, and its capture range seems to be positively related to the input energy and related to the start-up time of the penetrometer.
In other words, the greater the input energy, the longer the holes created by the perforator in the cosmic membrane will exist, and the wider the interference range will be.
Reasonable analysis shows that with enough energy, the teleportation beam can even swallow the entire planet!
However, if you want to do this, the energy consumed will be an astronomical figure, and it may reach stellar level!
And this is secondly, how to compress this terrifying energy into the size of a standard fuel tank is also a problem.
Without improving the holy relic, maintaining an opening time of three seconds and a capture range of 10 meters is already the limit.
Additionally, matter transported to the Creator's Universe will be permanently lost.
According to the description of the pioneer civilization, they will become a beam of light or dust in another universe and cannot return from that world, or even if they return, they will not be able to maintain their original form.
However, this has not yet been proven experimentally, so researchers at the institute have reservations.
Another one, only living creatures can be teleported, or corpses that have died within 72 hours.
"Dead objects" including electronic products cannot be transported alone, but they can be transported together as accessories of the person being transported.
The definition of this accessory seems to be related to the self-perception of the person being transported.
The researchers tried to put a watch on the body of the slime mold fruiting body. After starting the perforator, the slime mold fruiting body disappeared, but the watch fell to the ground.
Immediately afterwards, the researchers conducted a controlled experiment and put the same watch on the monkey to ensure that the monkey understood the concept of the clock. Then they conducted the experiment and found that the monkey and the watch traveled together to the Creator Universe!
After making this discovery, Director Dai immediately formulated a new experimental plan--wrap a detector with an anti-corrosion film, stuff it into a piece of meat, and then feed it as food to the captured people from Baiyue Province.
Here comes the toothless monitor lizard.
This toothless dragon is a variant of the Komodo dragon, with an average adult body length of four meters and a weight of nearly 300 kilograms. It eats everything raw and then relies on digestive juices to break down the food.
After the toothless monitor lizard decomposes the meat outside the detector, it will naturally spit out or pull out the undecomposable detector.
The latter will continuously emit electromagnetic wave signals containing observation information before the battery is exhausted.
If they can receive a signal from another universe through the "hole" created by the perforator in the next experiment, it means that the toothless dragon they sent there did not become the light of another universe, but remained the same.
Exists in another universe.
Not only that, they might also be able to obtain more information about the Creator's universe by analyzing the returned electromagnetic wave signals!
Without hesitation, Director Dai reported the experimental plan to the scientific expedition team in accordance with the work regulations and immediately started the experiment.
On the third underground floor of the research institute, in the isolation room where the cosmic model perforator is stored, staff wearing protective clothing brought the cage containing the monitor lizard to the side of the perforator, and then quickly left the isolation room.
As if anticipating the threat, the toothless monitor lizard hissed and spat out a message, twisting its huge body restlessly in the narrow iron cage and banging against the cage.
After confirming that the staff had left the scene, the researchers standing behind the glass curtain wall immediately started the remote control robot in the isolation room remotely, and stepped forward to press the switch to turn on the perforator.
As the perforator was activated, a dazzling light was instantly released from the center of the perforator, completely covering the giant lizard in the cage.
Not a single sound was made.
When the blinding light dissipated, the lizard that was originally lying in the cage and twisting its body had disappeared, leaving only the chains that imprisoned its limbs.
Gazing at the vision that occurred behind the glass curtain wall, Alex, standing next to Dai Huaian, said with an moved expression.
"No matter how many times I watch it, I can't help but want to say one more thing... This is incredible."
As a physicist in cryogenic dormancy in Vault 337, he has been engaged in physics research at the end of the Prosperity Era, and his research topics are still at the forefront of the physics world. He has seen a lot of incredible things.
However, even so, the scene in front of him really shocked his eyes——
A 300-kilogram lizard disappeared in front of all of them.
And it left no trace at all.
"...After all, it is a 'pioneer' technology. How can we rule hundreds or thousands of galaxies without two brushes?"
Staring at the cage behind the glass curtain wall, Lin Dong's face was filled with obsession as he muttered to himself.
really--
This is the scientific research and exploration he yearns for!
What they are facing at this moment is the real unknown, the truth that human civilization has never discovered!
Compared with this thing, the ruins he had explored before and the black boxes he had unearthed were simply weak!
Looking at the obsessed Lin Dong, Yarick made a helpless expression and cast his gaze behind the glass curtain wall.
"Regardless of whether that pioneer civilization ruled hundreds or thousands of galaxies... This kind of technology, which is far beyond the level of our current civilization, is indeed no different from magic to us."
He felt like a "Domar" at this moment.
Although he has never actually met the Doma people, he only saw and heard about them in the internal reports of the scientific expedition team.
The researchers in the operating room were communicating in whispers, while Director Dai held his watch and looked at the time, waiting for the toothless monitor lizard to finish digesting the meat in its belly.
Although the time flow rate of the two universes may not be the same, that is not what this experiment explores.
What they want to verify is whether the matter sent to the Creator's universe still maintains structural integrity.
If no signal is received, they will speculate whether the failure of the experiment is due to the difference in the time flow rate of the two universes, resulting in the loss of the detector signal, and then continue to arrange controlled experiments to verify this conjecture.
While he was waiting quietly, the trap door behind the operating room suddenly opened to both sides, and a young man in a white coat walked in from the outside.
"How's the experiment going?"
Looking at the sudden visit of Yin Fang, Director Dai's face suddenly showed a surprised expression. He obviously didn't expect that this big boss would attach so much importance to this experiment and even came to the scene in person.
However, the surprise only stayed on his face for a while, and soon turned into surprise and pride.
A smile appeared on Dai Huaian's face and he reported immediately.
"We have just completed the first set of experiments! The experiment went very smoothly, and the detector was successfully taken to another universe by the Toothless Monitor... Next, we will soon conduct the second set of experiments to confirm whether the detector is working normally.
"
"It seems I came at the right time," Yin Fang smiled, nodded, and said in an appreciative tone, "I have a strong feeling that everyone here today will witness history."
This affirmation from the alliance's chief scientist inspired everyone present.
Not just Director Dai Huaian, almost every researcher had expressions of excitement and joy on their faces.
Instead of disturbing the experiments of the researchers from the Seventh Institute, Yin Fang just sat on the edge of the operating room as a bystander and watched quietly.
In a sense, his work style was somewhat influenced by Chu Guang. He would not interfere in the work of his subordinates and leave professional matters to professionals, unless his subordinates were lazy and refused to work.
.
Anyone who devotes himself wholeheartedly to a cause will hate others telling him what to do.
This is human nature.
Although he is the chief scientist, he is not necessarily more professional than the few present in the research on pioneer civilization. If he gives random instructions, he might bring the whole project into trouble. It is better to just quietly be a mascot.
Just watch from the sidelines and offer some valuable advice when appropriate.
In fact, if it weren't for his curiosity about the relics of the pioneer civilization and the "universe beyond the universe", he might not have gone to the scene to watch, just read the report on his tablet and be done with it.
The time for the second set of experiments is coming soon.
Perhaps intending to show off their skills to the respected chief scientist of the alliance, the researchers present were also very energetic. From the director to the grassroots operators, they all devoted themselves to the experiment.
They first placed a signal receiver in the isolation room, then adjusted the parameters of the perforator from "input state" to "output state", and then inserted a new empty fuel tank into the reactor.
As for the previous fuel tank, it is no longer usable due to a hole in it.
This is also one of the small details of using a perforator.
Each forward penetration of the membrane of the universe will leave a cylindrical hole in the reactor's fuel tank, just like a movie ticket that has been discarded with its corners cut off and cannot be used again.
And if it penetrates the membrane of the universe in reverse, that is, "borrows light" from the Creator's universe, there will be no impact.
After all preparations were made, the staff in the isolation room evacuated step by step, and then the researcher in the operation room started the remote-controlled robot deployed in the isolation room in advance, and started the perforator step by step.
Immediately afterwards, the light shining like the sun once again filled the entire isolation room, carrying terrifying energy and overflowing from the reactor in the isolation room.
However--
This experiment seemed different from the previous ones. What overflowed from the reactor seemed to be not only energy, but also something else.
Yin Fang frowned slightly.
At the same time, the researcher standing in front of the terminal let out a cry of surprise.
"Gamma rays detected!"
Everyone's faces showed expressions of surprise, while Yin Fang was slightly stunned.
gamma rays?
Could it be——
Is it more than just energy being produced this time?
Just when Yin Fangzheng was thinking, the shining light had gone out.
Director Dai, who was standing aside, obviously thought about it with him. After all the indicators showed normal, he immediately ordered staff wearing protective clothing to enter the isolation room and check the signal receiver installed next to the perforator.
The results of the experiment were beyond everyone's expectations.
They did not receive the video from the detector, but instead received a series of special signals.
Looking at the people gathered around the terminal with solemn expressions, Yin Fang also stood up and joined them.
"What's on the receiver?"
Upon hearing Yin Fang's inquiry, Director Dai hesitated and said after a moment.
"We are analyzing the signal, and the result of the interpretation seems... to be a series of binary numbers."
At the same time as he spoke, a string of parsed binary numbers appeared on the terminal screen and filled the entire screen.
The operator quickly further analyzed the numbers and, with the assistance of scientific research AI, transcoded them into decimal numbers, and quickly found repeated numerical fields.
"7444154..."
The researcher named Lin Dong read out the numbers on the screen in a low voice, suddenly realized something, took a breath and said.
"Hiss... Speaking of which, our piercer has exactly seven knobs!"
Also aware of this, Alex frowned and said solemnly.
"This string of numbers looks like a key, and it's tailor-made for us."
"What will happen if we input this string of numbers onto the dial of the perforator?" the researcher standing aside suddenly thought.
Another researcher shook his head and said.
"I don't know, no one knows."
This string of numbers contains so little information that they can't even judge the other party's intentions.
"Would you like to try inputting this set of numbers onto the dial?" The researcher standing next to the terminal turned around and turned his attention to Director Dai.
Director Dai subconsciously looked at Yin Fang and saw that the latter did not put forward any opinions, so he looked at Yin Fang and asked.
“Is the risk controllable?”
Alex shook his head.
"There is too little information...but in theory it should be controllable."
Director Dai frowned.
"theory?"
"After all, the helium-3 fuel we used is less than one kilogram," Yarick shrugged. "We can't summon a space battleship with these hundreds of grams of helium-3."
The maximum projection radius of 10 meters is obviously not enough for something of that level to pop out.
And after all, it is just a small hole, so small that it cannot even be observed with the naked eye.
The thing that pops out in the end will most likely be of the same level as the energy they input.
"..."
When it was finally time to make up his mind, all eyes turned to the guy in the room who had the most ideas.
Looking at Yin Fang, Director Dai from the Seventh Institute asked nervously.
"Do you think... we want to add another set of experiments?"
No one knows what is in front of them at this moment. This is a blind box in the true sense.
Hidden in the blind box may be opportunities, it may be danger, or nothing may happen.
But one thing is without a doubt.
If they don't take this step, they will never discover a new world.
Should we maintain awe of the universe and retreat cautiously?
Or take a brave step forward?
No one can know the results of the experiment in advance before the experiment.
Looking at those nervous and expectant eyes, Yin Fang knew that he could no longer remain silent.
Come on.
These guys are here to take the blame.
"Your eyes tell me that you already have an idea in your mind..."
After a pause, Yin Fang looked around at everyone present and continued in a serious tone.
"In that case, let's try it."
Just as he expected, everyone's faces showed excitement after hearing his decision.
When someone is willing and able to take on the risks and responsibilities, the whole thing suddenly becomes easier.
At least it feels like it.
For a moment, Yin Fang suddenly felt what Chu Guang was feeling.
That guy didn't seem to be doing anything as he seemed.
And maybe, what he did was exactly the most difficult and least easy thing...
The third experiment quickly entered the preparation stage.
Just in case, Yin Fang applied to the Guards Corps to temporarily increase the security level of Research Institute No. 7, and dispatched an additional platoon of troops to the laboratory.
The entire platoon has a total of 30 people. Except for the three officers, the remaining 27 additional members are all composed of awakened people from Vault 404.
After being fully prepared, the laboratory staff, under the instruction of Director Dai, adjusted the parameters of the perforator based on the password obtained from the Creator Universe, then evacuated the isolation room according to the previous process, and passed the robot
Start the window remotely.
It is worth mentioning that if the parameters are entered randomly, the perforator cannot be started.
This has been verified in previous experiments.
It is precisely for this reason that when researchers from the Seventh Institute conducted experiments, they were mentally prepared that nothing might happen.
Fortunately, the most wasteful situation did not happen.
The moment the button to start the perforator was pressed, a dazzling white light lit up again in the isolation room.
Looking at the numbers jumping on the screen, the researcher standing in front of the terminal shouted excitedly.
"Gamma rays are rising! This time... the measurement value is stronger than before!"
Yin Fang stared intently at the transparent glass curtain wall in front of him. While he was astonished, he also gradually developed an ominous premonition.
Is there something...
It seems to be coming out of there.
However, even if he wanted to stop the experiment at this time, it was already too late.
For a moment, the lights in the operating room suddenly flickered, and then went dark with a "buzz" sound.
"what's the situation?!"
"The power is out?! Why did it happen at this time——"
"Wait, did you hear anything?!"
Everyone was at a loss to figure out what was happening, when suddenly a hissing sound came from the darkness, like a low roar from the abyss.
Listening to the sound coming through the glass curtain wall, Yin Fang felt the hairs on his body stand up, and felt a chill in his heart, or a sense of immediacy.
That was before he joined the league.
At that time, he was still the captain of an exploration team in the college, doing some garbage picking and rummaging through boxes for the college.
However, even though he was fully prepared for every mission, his car overturned during a certain mission and he was the only one in the team who survived.
That operation can only be described as a disaster.
In order to preserve his career, his superiors almost without hesitation put all the blame on him alone, so that he had to leave the academy and escape from the Wandering Swamp.
That incident was almost a lifelong shadow...
At this moment, the nightmare that had been buried deep in his heart emerged from his heart again.
But it's different from before.
This time he is no longer an inconspicuous little character, but stands in a completely different position than before.
Without a trace of hesitation, Yin Fang made a decisive decision and shouted loudly at the researchers present.