Chapter 964 - Chapter 964: Discovery of Suspected Artificial Creation
Space exploration was a very complicated and dangerous thing.
Why did the commander of the war zone, Cheng Daxing, want everyone to set off an hour and a half after the various special forces meeting?
This was because an hour and a half after the meeting, at 5 p.m. on November 22nd, the first artificial pulse of the neutron star of the Blue Star humans on the Manut asteroid would rise into orbit.
All the celestial bodies in the entire known universe, including the extra-galactic system, the Milky Way, and the solar system, were constantly
moving.
For example, the distance between Mars and the moon would constantly change because of the rotation and transit of Mars.
In recent times, humans on the Blue Star only needed to spend four and a half months flying from the Moon to Mars.
However, at the furthest point, humans on the Blue Star needed more than six months to fly from the moon to Mars.
The celestial bodies in the solar system were constantly moving, including the sun. However, due to many complicated factors, such as the gravitational field of the large celestial bodies, their relative positions were relatively stable.
Humans on the Blue Star had already figured out the locations of the Blue Star, Moon, and Mars, but the asteroid belt was extremely unfamiliar.
Even though he had obtained a portion of the star map from the Spiritual Race, it was still extremely unfamiliar.
Most importantly, most of the asteroids in the asteroid belt were constantly changing because of the gravitational field fluctuations or collisions of countless planets.
Therefore, if the team that was going out to explore wanted to return to the Manut asteroid by flying, they had to have a location beacon that could be retrieved from afar.
The artificial pulsed neutron star was such a beacon. Its function was equivalent to a lighthouse on the sea. It was dozens of times more important than the lighthouses on the sea.
Therefore, if the special forces and battle teams of the various sectors wanted to explore the outside world from afar, they had to wait for the pulse neutron star to rise into the air and obtain the pulse frequency before they dared to go out to explore.
Otherwise, the probability of being lost in space and unable to return home was 99%.
Other than that, exploration in space had to be carried out in a flying formation. There were too many unpredictable accidents. Perhaps a meteorite impact could destroy the aircraft. Or an electromagnetic storm could invalidate some of the aircraft’s electronic devices.
Therefore, the Worldly Special Force chose a flying formation this time. As there were relatively few people in the Worldly Special Force, they did not choose a relatively large and slow sky shuttle.
Instead, they chose the Aerospace Combat Jet and the Aerospace Supply Ship as the main formation. There were a total of seven aerospace combat jets and one aerospace supply ship that was slightly slower than the aerospace combat jet but stronger than the sky shuttle.
In addition to various emergency equipment, there were also four small sky aircrafts in the aerospace supply ship.
Xu Tui did not know how the preparations of the other sectors were for the development of the asteroid belt this time, but the technological resources provided by the Huaxia Sector were still extremely sufficient. They had even been given a fleet of drones.
Other than that, there were also three researchers that were assigned to the Worldly Special Force. One was an atmospheric and liquid researcher, and the other two were geological researchers.
Bringing them along was also to determine the development value of an asteroid in a short period of time and whether it had the possibility of becoming a resource planet.
At the same time, in order to deal with possible extreme accidents, they had also sent a special force. The military had also sent a Transmutation Realm cultivator.
This was because cultivators at the Evolution Realm were almost unable to fly with their bodies. Once the aircraft was destroyed during the flight, especially in space, they would definitely die.
If they were equipped with a Transmutation Realm expert who could fly with his body, there was still room for redemption if such an extreme accident happened.
From this point of view, the Huaxia Sector placed great importance on the safety of the members of the special forces.
At the same time, perhaps to avoid being thought by the various special forces that they had sent people to monitor them, the various special forces could choose whether they wanted the Transmutation Realm experts accompanying them or not.
If they wanted to, they could also choose their entourage within a certain range.
In Xu Tui’s words, only a fool would not want it.
Unsurprisingly, Xu Tui’s candidate was Zhou Chuan, who had once fought alongside him.
Xu Tui named a very common and standard-issue Aerospace Combat Jet the Worldly. It was temporarily used as a flagship aircraft.
Xu Tui, Zhou Chuan, Li Zheng, Tao Guan, and a geological researcher stayed in the flagship aircraft.
After taking off from the Manut asteroid and leaving the gravitational field of the asteroid, the fleet of fighter jets sailed into space.
The vast space was deep and dark.
Although there were tens of thousands of large asteroids and meteorites in the asteroid belt, that was just the exploration data from the star map. In fact, most asteroids were four to five thousand kilometers apart or even tens of thousands of kilometers apart.
“Commander, which direction are we exploring now?” Zhao Hailong’s voice sounded in the command channel.
Xu Tui did not have a direction for the time being.
The asteroid belt was different from the celestial bodies, Earth, Moon and Phobos, in the inner solar system. The location of the celestial body brought by the asteroid, including its relative location, was constantly changing. It was extremely complicated.
“Why don’t we find a lucky guy and choose a direction to advance?” Xu Tui smiled in the command channel.
“Then there’s only you, Commander. Aren’t you the most lucky person?” Cui Xi smiled.
“I’m lucky?”
“Commander, do the math yourself. How lucky were you during the space invasion? You could easily bring us over and catch a big fish like Lei Xiang. Also…” Miao Huanshan was on the same side as Cui Xi and licked him the moment he opened his mouth.
Xu Tui naturally could not explain that it was the information that Tri Ling Ding had given him.
So be it.
Just as he was about to decide on a direction, Xu Tui suddenly had an idea. Previously, when he landed, the red fire slip had flashed four times. This flickering was the same as the first time Xu Tui returned to the Blue Star after obtaining the red fire slip. The red fire slip had also fluctuated abnormally.
However, it was different from the abnormal reaction after descending into the asteroid belt.
Still, he might gain something. Moreover, the key was that the red fire slip had given Xu Tui an additional enhancement under his hysterical threat when he was dealing with Lei Zhan last time.
What did that mean?
This meant that the red fire slip might have a spirit. Although this so-called spirit would be very low-level, with a spirit, there would be a certain degree of communication.
“Give me a direction?” Xu Tui used his mind power to guide the red fire slip and expressed his intentions with his consciousness.
Actually, after Xu Tui broke through to the Genetic Evolution Realm, his connection with the red fire slip had become a little closer. However, the increase was not obvious. In his mind, the red fire slip flashed a few times and suddenly gave Xu Tui a direction.
“Here!”
Xu Tui immediately gave his instructions. In the dark space, the flying formation that looked like a team of flying ants immediately changed directions and sailed into the depths of space.
“Commander, we have discovered a meteorite in our channel. It is estimated that in three minutes, this meteorite with a diameter of 14 kilometers will collide with us at high speed. Whether to destroy it or avoid it, Commander, please state your order.” Zhao Hailong, who was in the lead, sent a message for instructions.
“Ah Huang, calculate.”
“You can’t destroy it. All teams, avoid five degrees to the left. You can’t exceed six degrees. Otherwise, your flight will be interfered with by the gravitational field of the meteorite 1,000 kilometers away.”
On the first day of flying, they encountered a total of seven accidents. It was far higher than the normal state of space flight. However, this was also the normal state of flying in the asteroid belt.
After flying out of the asteroid’s flying circle for a day, the formation expanded slightly, pulling away slightly and expanding the detection distance. However, the few celestial bodies they encountered were still relatively small meteorite celestial bodies. There was no point in detecting them.
During this time, Xu Tui contacted the red fire slip twice.
This time, it gave this flying direction every time. Other than that, there were no other superfluous instructions.
“Commander, we have sighted a larger celestial body on the right. The detection data shows that it has a diameter of more than 1,200 kilometers and is not in a gaseous state,” Yang Huai suddenly reported.
“Turn around and conduct a comprehensive test. Prepare to land.”
The current flying range was about two days around the Manut asteroid. He could not let go of any asteroid within the three-day flight circle around the Manut asteroid.
The asteroid that exceeded 1,200 kilometers was already relatively large. The moon was only 1,700+ kilometers in size, and the diameter of Phobos, which had been modified for decades, was only 300 to 400 kilometers.
Three minutes later, the test data came. The current environmental temperature of this asteroid was about minus 21 degrees.
It was flying in orbit, but the trajectory of the celestial body was unknown.
They could land.
“Supply ship, jet 6 and jet 5, circle the orbit. Jets 1 to 4, Worldly, prepare to land,” Xu Tui ordered.
An hour later, they successfully landed. The first thing he needed to do was a safety test. The numbered fighter jets flew around the unnamed asteroid and conducted a comprehensive test.
“Reporting to Commander, there are no life signals.”
“Reporting to Commander, there are no radioactive fluctuations.”
“Miao Huanshan, Yang Huai, your two teams will escort two researchers for a geological test. The other teams will continue to fly at a low altitude to explore this asteroid, led by Worldly and Jet 1. Let’s proceed in formation,” Xu Tui ordered.
With the speed of the Aerospace Combat Jet, it would only take two hours to circle this unknown asteroid at a low altitude.
Half an hour later, Zhao Hailong’s voice suddenly came from the communication channel. “Reporting to Commander, temporary coordinates
X234 and Y177. Suspected to be artificial creation. Requesting to explore.”
In the Worldly, Xu Tui’s gaze froze.
Suspected to be an artificial creation?
Xu Tui frowned and immediately gave an order, “Continue the long-range exploration and wait for our team to arrive. Attention, all teams. We have discovered a suspected artificial creation. Increase the alert level and enter battle mode.” Xu Tui immediately issued a warning.
Xu Tui contacted the red fire slip again when the Worldly rushed to the corresponding coordinates provided by Zhao Hailong.
The red light only flickered slightly. It was very blurry. He did not understand what it meant at all.
Half an hour later, Xu Tui, Cui Xi, Luo Murong, and the others’ fighter jets arrived above Zhao Hailong’s so-called artificial creation. It did look very similar from the sky. It was an extremely regular disc. There were carvings on the disc, but most of them were blurry.
Soon, the remote sensing analysis of the material composition below made everyone excited.
It was metal of unknown composition!
The disc below was not a natural stone that looked like it to the naked eye, but an unknown metal. Under such circumstances, the possibility of artificial creation was very high.
“Continue to explore at a lower altitude. Lower drones to explore at an extremely low altitude.”
Xu Tui adhered to the basic principle of a commander—prudence.
Fifteen minutes later, after all kinds of exploration and probing, including firepower testing, there was no response from the disc-like artificial creation. They did not find any threats.
Most of the dangers were eliminated. He had finally reached the last and most important step—artificial exploration, sampling, or direct testing.
A minute later, Xu Tui, Zhou Chuan, Zhao Hailong, Luo Murong, Mu Xingluan, and the others formed a combat team and left the fighter jet to explore the field.
Cui Xi stayed behind to command. Before leaving the fighter jet, Mu Xingluan had put on a vine armor for each of them.
After Mu Xingluan broke through to the Genetic Evolution Realm, this ability had also greatly improved.
Xu Tui scanned the area with his mental perception before he landed. Xu Tui’s expression changed the moment he scanned down.
“Be careful.. We found a weak energy fluctuation below!”