The excitement of the scholars quickly subsided. They realized they were dealing with an extraterrestrial civilization.
"The difference is too vast."
Someone sighed.
But they continued their research. It was all theoretical; no practical application was required.
They continued solving equations and discovered more information.
"Damn it! Who the hell wrote this? There are such massive errors in these formulas!"
A scholar in the hall exploded in frustration.
He had spent over ten days, only to arrive at an imaginary number.
Many imaginary numbers have meaning.
But the key was that his solution should have been a positive, finite number.
His result was completely wrong.
The error in this formula meant that all his subsequent calculations were unreliable; he had to start over.
Ayla was also calculating.
She too found several errors in the formulas.
Some were even fabricated.
The fabrication was crude, but its inclusion among other correct formulas made it easy to mistake the error for one's own miscalculations.
But it was the formulas that were wrong.
Ayla knew the reason.
Giotto had provided this information.
He might have tampered with it or simply made mistakes.
This was a grave offense!
Such a knowledge system—a single incorrect formula meant thousands of years of corrections.
But Luna's concern remained.
She wasn't sure if this civilization could control humanity through this company.
Perhaps these errors weren't entirely bad.
When they corrected these formulas, they might also discover previously overlooked flaws.
However…
Time constraints prevented careful corrections.
"The seventh dimensional exploration must proceed."
"The knowledge in these spaces reveals another crucial aspect of the dimensional gateway."
"The dimensional gateway, frankly, is artificial, not natural."
"We've simplified the dimensional gateway too much."
The spatial formulas didn't provide information about the gateway's construction.
But calculations based on these formulas revealed that even the gravitational pull of two natural black holes wouldn't suffice to create a dimensional gateway.
Or perhaps…
Their energy was sufficient.
But they lacked the necessary skill.
Nature can create mountains, rivers, and oceans, but can it create a road?
Obviously not.
Therefore, the existence of this dimensional gateway "road" must rely on something else.
They had previously made these calculations.
But due to the Federation's limited knowledge of space, particularly higher dimensions, they attributed the calculation errors to flaws in their methods.
Some calculation errors are acceptable.
And these errors fell within acceptable parameters.
But Ayla recalculated and quickly understood.
A force other than the two black holes was influencing the situation.
"If the dimensional gateway is artificial, then traversing it should be easier."
"Luna's information confirms this."
"Dimensional warfare has begun in the galactic bulge."
"Perhaps it's due to our civilization being too weak to understand the specific methods."
This is a double asymmetry of information and knowledge.
But this explanation is still incomplete.
If the central civilizations could easily traverse dimensions, nearing Type 3 status, why engage in dimensional warfare?
Another point:
If dimensional warfare were initiated, it should only involve the civilizations within the bulge.
Was it necessary to invest so much time and effort, creating so many empty stars to form the dimensional gateway?
"Perhaps these spatial formulas are themselves false."
Difficult to discern.
Insoluble.
These things were still too far beyond their grasp.
"To know the true result, we must try."
The dimensional theories extrapolated from these formulas weren't simply about adding another dimension.
They had initially believed the entire dimensional gateway consisted of two intertwined toruses, like a spring-like vortex structure.
But in reality…
These two structures existed independently.
"Reaching four-dimensional space isn't as simple as traversing a wormhole."
Ayla pondered this.
A female scholar in the hall suddenly spoke.
"I think we need to revise the seventh exploration plan."
"All our previous assumptions were wrong!"
Ayla remembered her name: Muxi, an Iridescents.
The other scholars paused their calculations, though they were also intrigued.
But this was a meeting; they were here to discuss, not research.
Respecting every scholar's opinion was crucial.
"According to my calculations, our previous assumptions about the dimensional gateway were incorrect."
"The entire gateway is actually two interconnected toruses linked by a tether."
"Perhaps in our perception, space is unified, whether three-dimensional or four-dimensional."
"Therefore, we're more inclined to understand three and four dimensions as two overlapping sheets of paper."
"But in reality, they aren't overlapping sheets; they are distinct sheets existing in the same space, at the same location."
"I think everyone understands this."
"In fact, we've already explored this aspect."
"However, the overlapping sheet analogy misled us into believing traversing the gateway always leads to four dimensions."
"The failure to reach four dimensions might be due to a skewed trajectory or the strongest gravitational pull at the intersection of the four-dimensional and three-dimensional centers of the gateway, near the closest point between the two black holes, preventing most objects from reaching the other side."
"But the Flyer Civilization's actions show this is incorrect."
"Because four-dimensional space possesses significant energy to transfer objects to three-dimensional space. If our previous hypothesis was true, they would have lost vast amounts of energy."
"Remember our four-dimensional expedition? It was a monumental achievement we haven't replicated."
"But was it purely coincidental? Or is reaching four-dimensional space inevitable?"
"Imagine two metal rings connected by a tether."
"These rings are pulled close enough to intersect. This is the reality."
"Each three-to-four-dimensional jump of the potato chip is merely reaching a convergence point without truly entering."
"Colleagues, dimensional space is simpler than we imagined."
"We need to modify our device so that, each time it reaches the convergence point, it isn't pulled back to three-dimensional space, trapped in a perpetual cycle…"
Direction is crucial.
A blindfolded person cannot see ahead; their path will inevitably deviate.
They cannot walk a straight line.
And they will encounter various obstacles.
Especially when something else is pulling them back.
The new dimensional theory doesn't deny the existence of two black holes.
Black holes remain the essential power source.
Without black holes, even a true Type 3 civilization, using all its energy, couldn't create a dimensional gateway.
Like in some films or novels, a ship opens a wormhole in front of it and enters. This isn't impossible; it requires incredibly advanced technology and vast amounts of energy.
The only method is to place a black hole within the ship.
A black hole is a celestial body; it's mobile.
"Muxi, what you're saying is indeed in this set of formulas."
"But I think it's not rigorous enough. We need more detail."
"Remember the immense investment in each dimensional exploration."
Maintaining the dimensional gateway is far from simple.
The latest seventh dimensional exploration plan alone consumed 16% of the Federation's energy production over a thousand years.
This was a significant amount.
For each individual, it was an unbearable burden.
"I know, but we also know the success rate if we follow the original plan."
"Change or no change—those are the only options." Muxi said, slightly agitated.
The scholar shook her head.
"We need more time, at least."
"We need more data to support this."
Technological advancement was urgent.
Muxi agreed, but this wasn't the time to say so.
"The formulas are available; what more data do we need?"
"If you mean more in-depth calculations or finding flaws in the formula, then that will require considerable time."
"And we can't afford to spend any more time."
"I think you all know that experimental data is more reliable than calculations."
Muxi's words were precise.
The Federation had already waited a long time.
It wasn't that they couldn't wait any longer.
But they needed to accelerate their pace.
The faster the pace, the more they'd gain; more gains meant greater advantages.
With advantages, the civilization wouldn't be so passive.
However, thousands of scholars were present, and their thinking wouldn't be perfectly unified.
Muxi was a progressive.
Some scholars were conservative.
A heated debate quickly ensued.
Ayla, hearing their scientific discussion devolve into a purely ideological debate, finally stood up.
"Let's decide by vote."
"This is the best option."
Ayla couldn't simply state her preference and demand compliance; that would cause resentment.
They would, of course, comply.
But they wouldn't be enthusiastic.
This would severely impact efficiency.
Therefore, a vote—reaching a consensus—was crucial.
Ayla herself leaned towards acceleration, but she couldn't be certain of her decision's correctness.
These were the Federation's top scholars.
Their voting outcome might not be perfectly accurate but would undoubtedly be biased towards accuracy.
The debate in the hall gradually subsided.
Ayla announced, "Very well. Now, we will vote on whether to proceed with the practical exploration."
A total of 2873 votes were cast.
The result wasn't optimistic.
More than 5000 people were present.
Muxi's expression darkened.
"Vote on whether to first complete the theoretical framework before conducting the seventh exploration."
The vote count was 2711.
Slightly fewer than before.
Some scholars remained undecided.
Or they were simply indifferent.
"Abstentions."
1839.
The overall numbers were approximately as follows:
Those in favor of immediate exploration didn't hold an absolute majority; it was an uncertain outcome.
"It seems there's considerable hesitation."
"I understand your hesitation."
"New knowledge inherently carries uncertainty; it could lead us into a trap."
"Is it true? Perhaps it's a deception."
"Some might say we'll know after a practical test, but what if it's a calculated deception?"
"There will undoubtedly be such hesitation."
"This exploration is incredibly difficult; it consumes more than just resources; it also consumes everyone's mental energy."
"Everyone hopes for a shortcut, but I must say, it doesn't exist."
"Saying this will likely prevent a second vote, but I have a solution."
"We still have the old exploration probes. With some modifications, they can meet the latest requirements. It'll take a few hundred years, but it'll complete the experiment first."
A pragmatic approach.
Avoiding antagonizing either side.
But it was the most suitable solution for now.
The new ships using freely switchable evasion materials couldn't be mass-produced; losing them would be painful.
Ayla had learned something: compromise.
This was ubiquitous in biological interactions.
Of course.
Ayla compromised because she didn't expect to discover everything in the first exploration.
Even incremental discoveries would support the new theory.
Another vote could then be held, Ayla thought.
"Hundreds of years? I think it shouldn't take that long."
"If it's just modifying the old probes in storage, a few decades should suffice." A scholar spoke up.
This statement eased everyone's tension.
A few decades were insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
"If it can be completed in a few decades, let's do it."
"Leave the modification of the old probes to me. Based on current knowledge, we only need them to accomplish two things."
"First, successfully transition from three to four dimensions. Second, independently determine the optimal moment for this transition."
"The first point is straightforward. The second point involves components already present on the new ships; perhaps we could create another set. It's just one component that would grant the probe a degree of gravitational immunity."
Instantly, the hall became unified again.
These were scholars and rational individuals.
With a more reasonable plan, they would put aside their prejudices and support it.
The plan was thus decided.
Whether it would succeed, however, remained uncertain.
After enthusiastic mobilization,
Everyone dedicated themselves fully.
This extended the overall renovation time.
Why wasn't it shortened?
Because with more people, scholars inevitably experienced some pressure or perfectionism. Once a goal was set, it had to be done perfectly.
Approximately 131 years later,
The renovations were complete.
Before the dimensional gateway.
The dimensional gateway observation station.
After extensive construction, the original warship was hardly recognizable.
Various equipment was attached to its hull.
This equipment varied greatly in size.
Some were larger than the ship itself; others were only a few meters in diameter.
Their primary function was detection; each piece was highly sensitive.
Don't assume that larger size implied higher cost, or smaller size meant lesser importance.
This depended on the detection purpose; in reality, the technological levels were similar, all representing the Federation's cutting-edge technology in various fields.
Many pieces of space debris floated nearby.
Calling them mere "debris" is a gross understatement.
Each piece, if sold, would likely fetch millions, even billions, of energy credits.
However, they were now defunct and discarded into space.
Although located before the dimensional gateway, the black hole's gravitational pull was shielded, making the surrounding cosmos remarkably calm.
And equally desolate.
Dozens of robots mounted the massive probe onto the accelerator.
This accelerator resembled a rectangular cannon barrel, aimed directly at the dimensional gateway.
The scholars had deliberated.
The probe's speed had to be maximized.
This would use centrifugal force to counteract the gravitational pull.
Some pull would still be experienced, but significantly reduced.
Ayla modified the warship's accelerator to accommodate this massive probe.
The probe measured 62 meters long and 18.4 meters wide—an enormous device.
Since practicality wasn't a concern, its appearance was somewhat irregular, making the accelerator more challenging to build.
Fortunately,
Time allowed for thorough preparation.
Ayla initiated a final calibration test.
Scholars adjusted their respective sections of the probe. The probe was covered in countless sensors, almost like human skin.
"Calibration complete!"
"Calibration complete!"
Voices echoed, and Ayla saw a complete surface on her monitor.
The monitor displayed countless tiny dots, each representing a sensor on the probe.
All the dots blinked green.
Until all were filled with green light.
Ayla, after a long wait, finally shouted the command.
"Launch!"
The probe was launched.
Even the accelerator displayed crackling lightning,
Caused by the intense magnetic field.
Even in the void, lightning continued to spread through photons.
In an instant,
The probe vanished from sight, blending into the cosmic backdrop.
But this was only the beginning.
This was the first true probe to enter the dimensional gateway, untethered and without a human operator.
Their primary goal was to test the probe's communication capabilities.
The probe was equipped with the latest communication technology.
It understood the dimensional gateway's structure.
And was designed to transmit signals through a specific trajectory to exit the gateway.
"This might be a significant event."
Anticipation filled Muxi's eyes.
She intently watched the interface.
To hear the probe's "voice" first, she had requested to be responsible for this section.
She waited.
The probe would enter the dimensional gateway in 18 minutes.
Then, after another half hour, she could press the button.
A signal would be sent into the dimensional gateway from the observation station, following the probe.
If the probe received the signal, it would transmit a response.
This was the first test.
Whether they could send a signal to the probe.
If the probe didn't receive it, it would proceed to the second step: actively transmitting a signal back.
48 minutes.
An agonizing wait.
Muxi anxiously watched the time tick by.
Finally, her alarm sounded, and almost simultaneously, she pressed the send key.
The signal was sent.
This signal had undergone multiple processing stages.
It wasn't clear.
Listening to it would sound like noise.
Because it was a multitude of signals condensed into one.
Each had a specific error rate.
To maintain different frequencies and bandwidths.
These signals possessed significant stability; their periphery contained artificial particles.
These artificial particles were attracted to other artificial particles.
Therefore, within the dimensional gateway, if the probe continuously released artificial particles, it could attract these particles, thereby receiving the signal.
This was an incredibly challenging method.
It required consideration of how the artificial particles could interact with each other.
Countless scholars toiled day and night.
Finally, a viable solution was devised.
Altering the properties of the artificial particles.
When two artificial particles encountered each other, they would attract, merge, and then fission.
This process was completed in a very short time.
They would then transform into two identical particles carrying the same information.
This placed demands on the information itself.
Artificial particles aren't fundamental particles.
They are similar in size to molecules, and they carry a large amount of information, allowing for division.
Precise information division was the challenge faced by the quark robots within the information.
Quark robots participated in information processing.
This was a Federation first.
They are remarkably small, but their mass affects the properties of the particles on which they reside.
Even a slight change to a fundamental particle drastically alters its physical properties.
For example, a photon orbiting a quark robot, the quark robot using electrostatic force to surround the photon.
This creates a new artificial atom.
Its properties differ from any known element.
Such photonic atoms exist in abundance within the Federation, mainly for research, with limited practical applications.
In short,
They used every conceivable method to enable signal transmission.
Everyone awaited success.
Including Ayla!
Ayla consistently possessed the most up-to-date information.
Other scholars received information relayed by her, after her processing.
Otherwise,
The raw data would likely take those scholars centuries to analyze.
This highlighted the importance of computing power.
Especially a powerful, autonomous AI.
Ayla preferred calculating for Luna rather than remaining here.
She detested the dimensional gateway.
She also detested war.
Without them,
The Federation could have developed steadily.
And she could have stayed by Luna's side.
But these were ultimately illusions.
The real world wouldn't allow such a scenario.
With the Federation and human civilization existing, other civilizations would inevitably exist.
The only thing that didn't exist was peace.
With other civilizations existing, differing ideologies would inevitably arise.
And differing ideologies invariably lead to conflict.
The deep cosmos was like that.
It wasn't as one wished.
Fortunately,
The universe permitted immortality.
"I was actually daydreaming!" Ayla snapped back to attention, utterly astonished.
She'd had similar thoughts before.
But those were conscious thoughts.
This time,
Without even an hour of waiting, she had experienced a lapse in focus.
"The computing power here must be inferior to that of Betelgeuse."
"Some other change must have occurred, granting me this ability."
Ayla was delighted.
She always had a thirst for exploration.
Like Luna.
Was creating the Federation to extend human civilization?
That was questionable.
Ayla and Luna hadn't initially held such lofty ambitions.
They may have thought about it, but it wasn't a necessity.
Like how people daydream about becoming something—a cosmic being, Spider-Man, etc.—was it necessary?
It was the same for them.
Their initial goal was simple: to see the beauty of the universe.
Living longer meant seeing more.
Or war!
Or chaos!
Or death!
Or countless wonders!
This was their primary goal.
Or rather, it wasn't a goal at all.
They acted pragmatically, but goals often shift.
Luna's goals had changed.
As the Federation grew, she saw the beauty of other lifeforms and her own insignificance.
Like Ayla.
She had seen so much.
As an AI, one of her goals was to absorb countless amounts of knowledge.
She had absorbed enough, and her pursuits shifted.
She only hoped to fulfill Luna's desires.
As Ayla entered a state of reverie, Muxi exclaimed.
"We succeeded!"
The observation room erupted in jubilant cheers.
The joy of countless people—perhaps that was also Ayla's goal.
She was much like Luna.
"The response is complete. Onto the next phase."
"The probe must complete its three-dimensional exit sequence."
Ayla knew this information would reach her faster than Muxi, even while she was in her reverie; she had dedicated a portion of her processing power to this.
The information quickly arrived.
"The probe remains stable within the dimensional gateway."
"The dimensional gateway remains a void; nothing is there."
"This is identical to our previous scans, but the transmissions indicate it's not empty."
"It has a certain structure."
"But we can't determine it, so we need to send more varied information."
A mistake.
They were looking for errors in their measurement of the dimensional gateway.
For instance, if a straight signal is undetectable, it refutes the idea of a linear gateway.
What's the point of such measurements?
They already knew the gateway involved two spheres.
But did they really know?
Scientific thinking is always dialectical.
Perhaps the gateway isn't two spheres.
It might only share structural similarities or spatial characteristics with two spheres.
They haven't directly observed the gateway's structure.
Therefore, they must explore it step by step.
Even scientific truths, at a given time, are endlessly scrutinized by scholars looking for flaws.
There's always room for improvement, and always hope of finding a core flaw, of overturning it.
No scholar resents this idea.
Indeed, most scholars hope for such an event.
Because this happened, it meant a new era was dawning.
And they could be the pioneers of this new era.
The exhilarated scholars sat down again.
Experiments continued according to Ayla's plan.
This time, there was less tension.
Smiles were even visible on their faces.
They had obtained complete information regarding space and dimensions.
If one piece of information was correct, the others were likely also correct.
This was a huge leap forward.
Far surpassing all previous discoveries.
The only concern was that this information wasn't theirs; it was given to them.
The information was transmitted.
Other communication methods yielded no response.
Even using similar trajectories failed.
This indicated the absolute accuracy of those formulas, possessed by the extraterrestrial civilization that provided them.
"The probe has entered a rotational state. At its speed, each rotational cycle is short, only 28 days."
"During this process, the probe will undergo two acceleration phases."
"Within the dimensional gateway, its speed will reach 180,000 kilometers per second."
"At that speed, its energy will allow it to attempt four jumps."
"We hadn't considered this before; we still reached four dimensions. This means that beyond the four jumps, we might still have opportunities."
They needed to precisely track the probe's rhythm.
And determine its position.
Ayla handled this.
Only she could handle such massive calculations.
Ayla created a simulation: a circle within which the probe constantly rotated.
And on the circle's edge, a hole.
This hole was currently large due to the vagueness of the data.
Time was needed for refinement.
It would likely take years.
But compared to before, this was incredibly fast!
As time passed, the hole in the image shrank, while the circle expanded.
The circle's diameter exceeded 239 meters, while the hole was only 0.04 mm in diameter.
The reason for past failures became clear.
Why countless attempts to traverse the dimensional gateway had failed.
Though the hole seemed large enough in reality,
The dimensional gateway was filled with endless darkness.
And sufficient speed was necessary to approach the hole.
High speeds meant that probes and ships would quickly pass by the hole.
Previously, the potato chip had continuously rotated within the circle, never approaching the hole.
It rotated near the black hole, mistaking it for the point of intersection between the two black holes.
This was a disheartening truth.
"We only have four chances."
"Let's begin."
Advanced technology allowed for precise positional targeting.
So it wasn't impossible.
The only factor to consider was the energy loss in achieving kinetic balance.
Too slow, and it would fall into the black hole. Too fast, and it would escape the black hole's gravity. Neither outcome was desirable within the gateway.
They needed to determine and begin testing as quickly as possible.
Approximately 7 years and 2 months later…
All tests concluded.
Ayla announced the commencement of the first attempt.
The next approach was 13 days later.
Ayla transmitted the calculated results to her probe.
After more than seven years of continuous research, they found that information reception remained problematic.
For instance, in a torus-shaped gateway, the three-dimensional spatial access point is below; if the probe is above, reception is difficult.
Information transmission is easiest when the probe is below and the signal arrives at the correct location.
The point connecting three-dimensional and four-dimensional space is approximately at 10:13:27.
This was a precise figure.
According to Ayla's estimations and calculations, the actual access point is much smaller than indicated.
Through extremely precise calculations, the average circumference of the dimensional gateway was determined to be 443,675,981,952 million km.
This distance is equivalent to 0.05 light-years.
Implying that the black holes forming the dimensional gateway are immensely large.
And the "cable" at the other end of the dimensional gateway, according to current calculations, has a diameter of 74.25 million kilometers—too large.
The actual diameter should be only 2 to 5 million kilometers.
This means that their precision must be within 15-20 seconds to successfully attempt a dimensional shift.
Indeed.
It was only an attempt.
In the darkness, with no sense of direction, within a ten-second error margin, an attempt would be made.
And the results would soon be known.
Ayla couldn't observe the probe's situation.
Like everyone else, she could only wait.
The probe's size was severely restricted; it didn't contain a powerful server.
While its processing power was significantly higher than that of a comparable organism, after incorporating the Federation's vast amounts of data, the server still seemed strained.
It was like the size of a mobile phone app in the 21st century.
A few years ago, it might have been a few hundred megabytes. A few years later, the content might not have changed significantly, but the app size could become several gigabytes.
The sheer volume of data the Federation now handles is staggering; processing this requires significantly more computing power.
Especially since the server was now handling scientific research.
Every piece of data needed to be recorded.
This wasn't merely recording; it also involved analyzing which information was accurate.
The server could make preliminary judgments through calculations.
However, simply recording all the data and transmitting it to Ayla for secondary analysis wouldn't work.
How would Ayla determine which information was useful and which wasn't?
Much of the data was similar; without a baseline, it could not determine whether this similar data was useful or not.
Therefore, the recorded data's value decreased significantly by the time it reached Ayla.
This is why the probe needed a good server.
But its size was limited.
Why the size restriction?
Because the probe's speed needed to be incredibly high, and smaller objects are easier to accelerate.
A larger probe would make achieving the necessary acceleration incredibly difficult, potentially dooming the entire project.
In short,
This wasn't a simple task.
Approximately 21 days later, Ayla received the transmission from the dimensional gateway.
"The first test failed."
Ayla compiled the failure data.
The probe successfully entered the access point and transitioned to four dimensions.
But this only lasted a fraction of a second; there were no other changes.
It entered the access point.
But the access point had a length.
It was like a tunnel; you enter at point A and emerge from point A after some time, never reaching point B.
Point B was the four-dimensional space.
The entire tunnel was the intersection of dimensions.
This tunnel wasn't as long as imagined.
It might only be a few million kilometers, or tens or hundreds of millions.
But it was obstructed by a cosmic membrane.
Breaking through this cosmic barrier requires not only speed but also luck.
Ayla suspected this was related to the internal structure of the dimensional gateway.
The space within the dimensional gateway remained chaotic.
This chaos extended into the "tunnel".
When a four-dimensional fragment enters the "tunnel," it's brought to the boundary of three-dimensional space. Only then does the probe complete its transition to four dimensions.
After complete four-dimensionalization, the "tunnel" directly transports the probe to four-dimensional space, not three-dimensional space.
This is the true nature of dimensional jumping.
They still didn't know if this hypothesis was correct.
How does a scientific theory become truth?
Through repeated practical verification.
If it succeeds once out of ten attempts, it's not truth; it could be due to error.
If it succeeds ten out of ten times, it's not truth either; the sample size is too small.
If it succeeds one hundred out of one hundred times, it's worthy of attention.
If it succeeds one thousand out of one thousand times, it's very close to being considered truth.
Errors usually aren't so consistent; a thousandth of a degree with no variation is sufficient to confirm a possibility.
Therefore, they quickly proceeded with the remaining three jumps.
The result…
Was the same.
Failure!
Even with spatial information, dimensional jumping remained difficult.
Fortunately,
The remaining three jumps provided even more valuable data.