Chapter 1301: 207.1s!
It’s our turn.
The second after the order was issued, the entire command room began to run like a machine. Every researcher and engineer sitting in the room began working, like gears turning a clock.
In the orbit of Mars tens of millions of kilometers away, the black metal ball was driven by a small electric propulsion engine. This controlled the position of the ball in the orbit.
A large hexagonal bulge on the clock was pointed at another Z particle clock, floating in geosynchronous...o...b..t tens of millions of kilometers away.
A piece of the ball sh.e.l.l moved to the side, exposing the complex and delicate optical parts.
A solemn order was heard in the command center.
“Turn on the laser aligner.”
The signal transmitted from the ground command center was received by the alpha Z particle clock floating in the geosynchronous...o...b..t.
After the order was received, an invisible infrared light from the laser collimator exposed on the outside shot straight to Mars and was captured by the beta Z particle clock floating in Mars...o...b..t.
The two spherical Z particle clocks were aligned with each other’s launch interfaces under the guidance of lasers. They drew an invisible line in the deep s.p.a.ce.
The big screen showed the two metal spheres connected by the red line, as well as the constantly changing orbital parameters. The words [Calibration Successful] were on the side of the screen. Director Li’s heart was at his throat. Luo Wenxuan, Edward Witten, and other physicists also clenched their fists.
The most crucial moment was here.
Regardless of whether Lu Zhou’s hypers.p.a.ce theory was right or wrong, this was definitely a moment that would be recorded in history.
Even CERN had never done such an expensive experiment. Just the total cost of the two Z particle clocks and their accessories was already close to half a billion yuan.
If they were to succeed, they would create history and change the future.
And if they failed…
This would probably be the most expensive firework show ever in human history.
“Open the launch port!”
“Opened!”
“Prepare nuclear core ignition… Ignite!”
After more than two hundred seconds of waiting, the two Z particle clocks, separated by tens of millions of kilometers, trembled at the same time.
The emission array composed of hundreds of thousands of laser sources was instantly lit up. Ultraviolet light containing 13 million joules of energy was shot from all directions to the ignition target.
The interior of the huge metal ball was filled with ultraviolet light. The ignition target was reflected by the eight thousand t.i.tanium-containing phosphate gla.s.ses, evenly distributing the rays inside the spherical sh.e.l.l.
The outer sh.e.l.l of the ignition target was instantly vaporized. When it was under 100 million degrees, the internal deuterium-tritium fuel was also ignited.
The energy comparable to a star was released in an instant, pus.h.i.+ng the lead core inside the sphere to collide, condense, and ionize. The Z particle from the high-dimensional universe was finally swayed by this terrifying power!
At the ground command center, a researcher sitting in his seat suddenly spoke.
“An abnormal gravitational signal was observed!”
The moment Lu Zhou heard this, he gave an order without hesitation.
“Start the photon source!”
“Yes, sir!”
With the help of the electric propulsion engine and the guidance of the infrared beam, the Z particle clock aligned itself to the photon source transmitter.
On the other hand, the electrons and positrons collided on the beta Z particle clock in Mars...o...b..t.
After a string of invisible sparks, entangled photons burst out in an instant.
One of them was going straight forward along the original trajectory, while the other clock was captured by the gravitational field disturbed by the vibration of the Z particles. It traveled along a trajectory that was almost identical but not completely the same.
Time seemed to be frozen at this moment.
Lu Zhou looked at the beating timer on the big screen. His heartbeat almost synchronized with it.
Director Li stared at the beating clock intently. Director Li’s mouth was moving, as if he was praying in his heart.
Secretary-General Luo, Professor Witten, and Professor Wilczek, as well as representatives of the ILHCRC council, stood behind him. They all stood there like sculptures, looking at the big screen in front of them.
Finally, when the number on the first timer jumped to 207.1s, the atmosphere in the command center froze.
The remaining second felt like a century.
When the second timer continued to beat, the atmosphere inside the command center completely exploded!
People clenched their fists excitedly, waved their fists, threw their hats, doc.u.ments, and even pens up in the air.
The atmosphere was at a peak.
People of different skin colors spoke in different languages, leaving tears of excitement.
Lu Zhou looked at the second timer that continued to beat, which stopped at 270.7s. Lu Zhou’s throat moved, and a relaxing smile suddenly appeared on his tense face.
The first timer was frozen at 207.1s.
In other words, the first photon to reach the receiver had traveled a total of 65 million kilometers.
The linear distance between the two Z particle clocks was 85 million kilometers. This photon “skipped” at least 20 million kilometers!
Since the speed of light was constant, there was only one explanation for this photon to reach the “endpoint ” so early…
The photon control group that reached the “endpoint” at 270.7s seconds proved this conclusion.
There was a difference of 63.6 seconds!
All doubts and debates had disappeared in an instant.
The oscillating Z particle disturbed the gravitational bond between Earth and Mars, thereby changing the curvature of s.p.a.cetime. It opened a hypers.p.a.ce channel beyond the three-dimensional s.p.a.ce.
Perhaps this was not the best travel channel.
It was as fragile as soap bubbles, as rocky and rough as gravel.
There must be a better way in this universe to create a more stable and “straight” hypers.p.a.ce channel, which could make the photon reach Mars in an even shorter time. Or even reach outside the solar system, outside the Milky Way.
However, its existence itself was amazing enough.
This was like the first line in an epic poem.
There would be countless heroes and great men carrying on this poem, but even then, their achievements were no match for the creation of this poem.
Maybe it was too soon to talk about the future.
But one thing was beyond doubt.
Which was that, Lu Zhou, who was standing in the command center, had once again proved that—
He was correct!