Galaxy Domination Guide

Chapter 225 218 Explore Interstellar Cloud

Mo Laitong opened up the Danlu Interstellar Cloud's holographic 3D star map for a demonstration. Earth was positioned roughly in the lower middle section of the Danlu Interstellar Cloud. Due to the sparse distribution of matter within the interstellar cloud, the star systems were relatively far apart, making the region look not very dense.

Mo Laitong pointed to a location on the 3D map, which was then highlighted in red. He said, "This is the Sirius Galaxy, with its stellar Sirius located 8.6 light-years from the Sun—not very far away. Right at the outer space of the Sirius Galaxy is the only passageway for any cosmic spacecraft from outside the Danlu Interstellar Cloud to enter into it."

Bai Zhongqi had only recently become aware of this situation and didn't quite understand why the Danlu Interstellar Cloud was isolated from other regions of the Galaxy, nor was he clear on how external forces would attempt to enter the cloud or where they would come in. However, the Star Alliance Scientific Research Institute, based on the observational data and after precise calculations, discovered that the Sirius Galaxy was the sole entry point into the Danlu Interstellar Cloud.

Due to the peculiar astronomical features of the Danlu Interstellar Cloud, the distribution of matter and spatial properties within it are different from other areas of the Galaxy, creating a naturally occurring discontinuity between the periphery of the interstellar cloud and adjacent space. Simply put, while space appears as a vacuum to Earthlings, it does not mean that there is an absence of matter and energy. To explain in a more metaphysical way, there are existing properties within this space, while a space discontinuity is another matter entirely. The universe does not uniformly distribute all matter; in a spatial discontinuity, no matter or energy exists, so in terms of properties, it is "non-existent."

Obviously, no existing matter can cross over a phenomenon such as non-existence, and this might enable travel from the cosmic space outside the Danlu Interstellar Cloud into its interior.

However, warp speed is a method of "flattening" space for travel. Imagine a flat piece of paper—the actual universe is like bending this paper. People move on the surface of the paper, but obviously, it's not the shortest distance. From one end of the paper to the other, traversing the surface would be very far, but crossing through the air would be much closer.

These statements seem quite run-of-the-mill, or even cliché, but in reality, they contain other implications. To accept the culture of the Star Alliance, one must first be able to use the official language of the Star Alliance, which is Mandarin Chinese. Currently, the majority of people who meet this standard are from China. Even though some countries protest this requirement, they do not have much choice but to allow their people to engage in intensive learning. After a series of education and assessments by the Star Alliance, those who are deemed qualified certainly help with the expansion of the Star Alliance and can maintain the stability of the new Administrative Star's population.

Bai Zhongqi now had the capacity to dispatch more reconnaissance fleets for exploration missions; not just the Insight, originally constructed by the First Universe, but with the graduation of more candidates from the Star Alliance military academies, Bai Zhongqi was able to assign these new Universe Army officers, matched with reliable bionic human officers, to the newly built Iridium Star Warships to carry out reconnaissance-like exploratory tasks.

Aside from the Sacred Falcon and two Escort Ships remaining on Earth without being deployed abroad, all warships constructed by Bai Zhongqi during this time were sent out as Reconnaissance Ships.

Even though Cruisers, Planet-Killer Ships, and Escort Ships might not be as economical as Reconnaissance Ships, equipping them with exploratory mission modules and a certain level of scientific capability (focusing on astronomical observation and experimentation) allowed the vessels to operate efficiently, opening up more of the map for the Star Alliance.

Because the objective was clear and the number of ships dispatched was considerable, Bai Zhongqi managed to chart a vast area of the map in a very short amount of time. Even Chi Jia, Jun Jiushao, and others were assigned to an Escort Ship to conduct their own exploration missions. They were not allocated to Sirius; in fact, with two Cruisers and a large number of engineering ships stationed there, Bai Zhongqi would begin constructing interstellar defenses directly in that region. The star systems assigned to Chi Jia and others were not comparable to well-known stars like Tiānyuàn Four or Tiāncāng Five, but were typically designated with the discoverer's name followed by a string of numbers.

The crew didn't have much to complain about, though—they were fulfilling Star Alliance missions, and these types of exploration ventures often came with the prospect of gambling-style bonuses. That is, if they were incredibly lucky during their exploration mission and discovered a highly valuable celestial body, they would receive a substantial jackpot reward.@@@@