Steve decorated his JPL office with a giant world map. But now, the map's center was not a country, but an inconspicuous coordinate point near the equator in the Pacific Ocean. Here would be the fulcrum with which he would move the entire Earth.
He knew that depending purely on scientific ideals would be a foolish dream for a plan that could overturn the world's order. What he needed was fuel to drive the two most powerful engines— the Department of Defense and Wall Street.
In the third month of the Prometheus Project, he entered the Oval Office in the White House with his top-secret plan. Facing the President, Secretary of Defense, and several Joint Chiefs of Staff generals, he unveiled a blueprint even more radical and compelling than his first MIT speech—a high-frontier strategic defense concept, given a name the hawks present could not resist.
He said nothing of interstellar navigation or humanity's future. He spoke of only three things: absolute military high ground, globally un-interceptable rapid strike, and ultimate monopoly of global communications and information.
He showed them what a "ladder" from the ground to geostationary orbit meant—satellite launch costs would approach zero. This would allow for an unprecedented orbital defense network of laser and kinetic energy weapons, turning any country's ballistic missiles into scrap. It also meant the US military could deploy rapid reaction forces anywhere in the world from space within 30 minutes.
These words struck the most sensitive nerves of the great beast whose Cold War spirit had not yet died. The generals' eyes shone with greed—not for scientific miracles, but for unparalleled hegemony.
He then flew to New York, telling a different version of the story in the luxurious living rooms of Wall Street's largest investment banks and tech giants. Here, the space elevator was described as the "Suez Canal of the 21st century," the gateway to space-based solar power plants, new materials, zero-gravity pharmaceutical factories, asteroid mining rights, and a new trillion-dollar space tourism industry.
Whoever controlled this commercial route to space first would dominate the global economy for the next century.
Steve's [Astonishing Wisdom] crafted irrefutable financial models, every figure stirring the most primitive desires of capitalists.
Driven by military hegemony and commercial profit, the greatest and most expensive project in human history was approved at unprecedented speed. The entire US national apparatus began moving madly around his will.
The next five years were the brightest—and most exhausting—of his life. Every moment was compressed into a race against time.
In the first year, he tackled the core challenge in materials science. Under his guidance, DuPont and Dow Chemical's joint labs miraculously achieved industrial mass production of carbon nanotubes, developing revolutionary techniques to weave countless nanotubes into cables. The strength of this new material was enough to easily lift an entire aircraft carrier.
The following year, an artificial island called "First Base" was built in the Republic of Kiribati in the Pacific. Tens of thousands of engineers and workers toiled day and night, constructing the space elevator's ground terminal and a massive laser emission array. At the same time, the Trailblazer rocket—designed by himself and loaded with the first cable roll—was launched from Cape Canaveral and placed precisely into its designated orbit.
The third year was the most exciting in the plan. Trailblazer slowly released the first cable, thinner than a hair, toward the ground. The whole world watched, holding its breath, as the event was broadcast live by satellite.
Many difficulties followed: high-altitude turbulence, micrometeorite impacts, solar storm interference. Each alarm threatened to stop the heartbeat of the Houston control center. But Steve, with his extraordinary computational skills, predicted and resolved crisis after crisis. When the cable's end was finally captured by the ground station, the world erupted in celebration.
In the fourth year, the acceleration phase began. Dozens of spider-shaped engineering robots he'd designed started laying and reinforcing thousands of thick cables along this initial strand, as if weaving a tapestry. The slender thread linking heaven and earth grew visibly thicker and stronger day by day. Seen from space, it resembled a mythical world tree sprout, piercing the atmosphere.
The fifth year, which is today. He stands at 36,000 kilometers above Earth, at the geostationary end of the space elevator, where the massive "Asteria" space station has just finished docking its last solar sail. Like an eternal diamond, it sits in the dark curtain of space, linked by a shining cable to the distant blue mother planet.
He stands in the main control center of Asteria, gazing at the blue planet beneath his feet through a huge curved viewport. His appearance has changed dramatically since five years ago. Now 34, the chubbt-faced man of yesteryear is honed by time, his features sharp and clear, his body fit. Behind black-rimmed glasses, his eyes are no longer just bright with intelligence, but carry the majesty of one who commands the lives of hundreds of millions—and a bottomless fatigue.
He wears a dark blue NASA senior uniform, without rank insignia. Yet to the entire station, and indeed to all of the Prometheus Project, he is the sole supreme commander.
"Doctor, all global communication lines are connected. The world is waiting for your speech." His white-haired deputy, a former astronaut, reports with respectful tone.
He nods and walks to the holographic projection camera. In an instant, his image appears on the giant screen in Times Square, New York, as well as in London, Tokyo, Moscow... and on screens in every corner of the world.
He speaks calmly, without a prepared speech. His voice spreads worldwide, relayed by countless satellites.
"Today, we have not conquered space. We have merely built a staircase outside our home for ourselves.
Five years ago, I promised to give our country unparalleled advantage.
Today, I have fulfilled that promise.
But from today, the second phase of the 'Prometheus Project' officially begins.
This ladder will no longer serve only one nation, but become the shared treasure of all humanity.
We are here to build the bridgehead of the Earth-Moon economy.
We are here to assemble the fleet that will sail to Mars.
From here, we embark on the journey to explore the sea of stars.
The cradle age of humanity ends officially at this moment!"
With that, he cuts the feed, ignoring the tsunami of cheers and applause from the control center behind him. He turns silently, gazing into deep space. He knows the Tower of Babel has been built. And the real challenge is only just beginning.
…
Bonus chapter at 100 PS