Chapter Summaries

Yue Yuan studied the translation notes and heard researchers assess what the Nair Civilization’s message revealed about its history and territory. The discussion left humanity weighing how to reply and what to do next.

• Yue Yuan read the annotations explaining the translated terms and learned that humans had invented “Nair” as a name for the unknown species.
• A sociology researcher argued that the Nair Civilization had likely encountered other civilizations and that the nearby Yellow Dwarf Star was probably an important system within its sphere of influence.
• The researcher suggested the Nair Civilization had expanded from a homeworld through migration and offered two possibilities for its demand for information: customary contact protocol or an attempt to delay humanity’s probe.
• Researchers from other fields discussed the message, then debated humanity’s response and next steps while Yue Yuan listened.

Yue Yuan weighed competing proposals for avoiding a conflict with the Nair Civilization while preserving the human fleet’s fuel and supplies. He ordered the fleet to decelerate and change course toward a possible Nair-controlled star, pending further communications.

• Some crew members urged humanity to turn toward a backup target immediately, while others argued that the fleet should first map the Nair Civilization’s territory.
• A third group proposed returning to the previous star system, but its lack of Rocky Planets raised concerns about future supplies and fuel.
• Yue Yuan asked how many major acceleration and deceleration cycles the fleet could still support, and the fuel administrator estimated eight to ten, or two more with resources from the Biosphere Spaceship.
• Yue Yuan ordered the fleet to decelerate and change course toward the previously identified destination, which might still belong to the Nair Civilization.
• Yue Yuan directed every department to draft a reply asking which stars belonged to the Nair Civilization, to limit the information humanity revealed, and to prepare emergency response plans before 4:00 p.m.

Humanity sent the Nair Civilization a cautious reply while changing course toward a new star system, then waited two years for an answer. The Nair ships declined to answer most questions, leaving Humanity unsure whether they had noticed the fleet’s turn.

• The human fleet completed its turn and began accelerating toward its new target while the New Government drafted a reply for the Nair Civilization.
• Yue Yuan approved a message that described Humanity as a peaceful exploration team, disclosed its fleet size and Level 2 technology, and asked the Nair Civilization questions in return.
• Humanity sent probes ahead toward a target star system 10.1 light-years away and allowed people to live normally rather than continue rotational hibernation during the long journey.
• Two years later, the Nair Civilization's three spaceships replied that they lacked authority to answer questions about their territory and people.
• Human scholars speculated that the Nair ships had not detected Humanity's change of course because they lacked Large-Caliber Telescopes.

Yue Yuan and the human fleet received a star chart from the Nair Civilization that marked the Red Dwarf Star they were heading toward as Nair territory. The Nair Civilization also invited humanity to visit its Yellow Dwarf Star and offered supplies in exchange, leaving humanity uncertain whether to change course or accept.

• The Nair Civilization's delayed reply reached the human fleet through a chain of relay probes, and Yue Yuan began reading it aboard the Lyra.
• Yue Yuan saw that the Nair Civilization's chart marked the human fleet's destination among twenty-seven stars it claimed to control.
• Yue Yuan and many experts suspected the Nair Civilization had exaggerated its territory, while others urged the fleet to change course; the Staff Department recommended continuing at uniform speed and disguising the fleet's route in its reply.
• The Nair Civilization invited humanity to visit its Yellow Dwarf Star, apologized for the three ships' obstruction, and offered fuel and resources in exchange for goods or technology.
• Humanity remained unsure whether to accept the invitation or alter its course.

Humanity debated how to explain its early course change to the Nair Civilization and whether to reveal its real destination. Yue Yuan agreed to tell them humanity was heading for the Red Dwarf Star, using their response to judge whether they were trustworthy while keeping the option to change course.

• A scholar proposed continuing toward the Red Dwarf Star and using communication delays to explain why humanity had changed course early.
• Yue Yuan asked whether humanity should reveal its true destination to the Nair Civilization.
• A sociology researcher argued that honesty could build trust and test whether the Nair Civilization truly controlled the Red Dwarf Star.
• The researcher said humanity should treat attempts to redirect them as evidence of hostile intent and prepare contingency plans.
• The researcher advised refusing to follow any destination the Nair Civilization proposed, citing insufficient fuel if necessary.

Humanity decided to tell the Nair Civilization that it had changed course toward Pot Lid Vastness Star, then resumed its journey. Gan De pondered why humanity had encountered civilizations only after entering space, and shared a possible explanation with Yue Yuan.

• Yue Yuan approved humanity's reply telling the Nair Civilization that its fleet was heading toward Pot Lid Vastness Star.
• After two days, the human fleet resumed its normal course through space.
• Gan De wondered why no civilization had visited Earth before humanity entered the stars, despite civilizations seeming widespread.
• Gan De considered several explanations for the Fermi Paradox and suspected that civilizations spent most of their time traveling across the vast distances between stars.
• Yue Yuan found Gan De at a porthole and asked what he had learned about the Fermi Paradox.

Gan De and Yue Yuan discussed the Fermi Paradox and why no alien civilization had taken Earth during its four billion years of life. They concluded that the Milky Way may once have experienced a window period in which advanced civilizations disappeared, leaving Earth undisturbed.

• Gan De reviewed the remaining explanations for the Fermi Paradox and described how civilizations could remain isolated across the universe.
• Yue Yuan pointed out that no matter how unlikely it was, some aliens should have visited Earth during humanity’s Earth Era.
• Gan De suggested aliens might have visited without humanity noticing, but Yue Yuan reminded him that Life Planets were valuable treasures that advanced civilizations would have taken.
• Gan De ruled out the idea that Earth had simply escaped discovery by luck and proposed that the Milky Way had once undergone a Civilization Window Period.
• Yue Yuan clarified that Gan De meant a window period in which advanced civilizations had vanished, allowing life on Earth to evolve undisturbed.

Yue Yuan and Gan De discussed why nearly all ancient advanced civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy had disappeared, weighing whether sentient life could only arise around third-generation stars. They left the question unresolved, with Yue Yuan believing humanity might uncover the truth as it grew stronger.

• Yue Yuan asked whether life elsewhere had evolved at roughly the same time as life on Earth, and Gan De said this was possible if sentient life required First Star Cluster environments.
• Yue Yuan asked Gan De what had made the ancient advanced civilizations disappear, and Gan De proposed that they had been destroyed in a galactic war, hidden themselves, or left the Milky Way Galaxy.
• Yue Yuan questioned whether civilizations could hide in the Milky Way for billions of years, and Gan De suggested they might have concealed themselves in Small Universes.
• Gan De argued that ancient civilizations leaving the galaxy was unlikely because even the Level Six Awakeners had needed a surviving Star Gate to reach the Milky Way.
• Yue Yuan suggested a Level Seven Civilization might have taken the ancient civilizations away, then accepted that the possibilities remained speculation and said humanity might learn the truth when it grew stronger.

Gan De published his Cosmic Evolution Theory, arguing that life and intelligence arose as an inevitable stage of the universe’s evolution rather than as parasites hastening its death. His ideas prompted renewed philosophical reflection among humanity as it continued its long voyage to Pot Lid Vastness Star.

• Gan De reflected on the Fermi Paradox and humanity’s stalled social and philosophical development during the voyage to Pot Lid Vastness Star.
• Humanity’s population had recovered to 150 million, prompting renewed study of fields neglected after the Callisto disaster.
• Seven years after speaking with Yue Yuan, Gan De published “Cosmic Evolution Theory” on the Human Science Network, building on the Window Period Hypothesis.
• Gan De argued that humanity belonged to the universe’s first batch of life and that matter had to precede the emergence of thought and intelligence.
• Gan De proposed that the universe had both a closed system moving toward heat death and an open, non-equilibrium system that drove cosmic evolution.
• Gan De concluded that the universe produced sentient life not to hasten its death, but to save itself through evolution.

Gan De argued that genes, intelligence, and curiosity would drive Sentient Life to preserve civilization and eventually try to save the universe. His theory sparked a fierce dispute among human scientists, who split into supporters and opponents.

• Gan De explained that the universe had developed from disorder into increasingly complex structures, creating the conditions for Sentient Life.
• Gan De argued that Gene Instinct and intelligence compelled intelligent beings to continue themselves and their civilizations rather than accept the universe's end.
• Gan De claimed curiosity and imagination could lead a civilization to develop the means to save the universe, presenting Sentient Life as its potential savior.
• Scientists challenged Gan De's theory, disputing its use of cosmic evolution and its suggestion that the universe had a will.
• Human scientists divided into opposing camps and argued at increasingly frequent scientific symposiums.

Humanity’s scientists developed a new cosmological framework while Yue Yuan and the New Government reviewed the Nair Civilization’s invitation to Great Blaze Star. Distrustful of the Nair Civilization, humanity decided to continue toward Pot Lid Vastness Star and conceal its fleet as it approached.

• Human scientists debated the universe as a dynamic spacetime-matter continuum and added a new Cosmic View to their scientific framework.
• Yue Yuan and the New Government read the Nair Civilization’s message urging humanity to change course for Great Blaze Star and proposing trade and an exchange of stories.
• Humanity concluded that the Nair Civilization was a collective of Sentient Life but remained wary of revealing too much about either civilization.
• Humanity decided to keep heading toward Pot Lid Vastness Star, using energy shortages as an excuse for refusing to change course.
• The human fleet minimized engine output and shut down the foremost probes’ thrusters to stay concealed while approaching Pot Lid Vastness Star.

The Nair Civilization’s leaders received Humanity’s reply confirming its course to Pot Lid Vastness Star and debated how to respond. The Grand Governor had yet to decide whether to contact the First Star Region, as tensions between the Nair Civilization’s regions threatened to complicate their next move.

• Humanity’s reply reached the Nair Civilization’s military and political center in the Great Blaze Star System.
• The Nair People gathered in the grand hall and learned that Humanity had changed course toward Pot Lid Vastness Star.
• The Grand Governor warned that sending warships there could break the peace and spark another war.
• A Nair leader urged the Grand Governor to inform the First Star Region and seek cooperation against the Third Star Region.
• The Grand Governor objected to cooperating with the First Star Region, while another leader argued that an alliance could help defeat the Third Star Region.

The Second Star Region's Grand Governor and his advisers planned to secure a role in first contact with Human Civilization by coordinating with the First Star Region. Gu Da was assigned to travel to Pot Lid Vastness Star without warships, while the Nair leaders began considering what goods to bring.

• The Grand Governor worried that the First Star Region would refuse to share negotiations with the Second Star Region, since Human Civilization was the first alien civilization the Nair Civilization had encountered.
• Gu Da argued that contact with aliens concerned the entire Nair Civilization and urged the Second Star Region to form a united front with the First Star Region before humans reached Pot Lid Vastness Star.
• The Grand Governor agreed to contact the First Star Region and ordered Gu Da to lead a mission, but Gu Da advised against sending warships so Human Civilization would not mistake them for a threat.
• Gu Da proposed sending transport ships with Great Blaze Star specialties, and the Grand Governor approved the plan and asked what goods they should bring.
• Gu Da rejected bringing minerals and urged the Nair to consider what an alien civilization might lack.

Nair Civilization’s Second Star Region prepared to trade technology and biological resources with the aliens at Pot Lid Vastness Star, while secretly notifying the system ahead of Humanity. As the human fleet reached the star system, Yue Yuan ordered the probes to decelerate and broadcast, and the Lyra received a map of the system.

• Gu Da identified technology as the likely basis for trade with the aliens and called for economic experts, scientists, linguists, and specialists to accompany him to Pot Lid Vastness Star.
• Gu Da suggested bringing plants and animals, and Nair Civilization’s Second Star Region finalized its plan and sent it to Pot Lid Vastness Star before replying to Humanity.
• Twenty-seven years later, the human fleet neared Pot Lid Vastness Star without receiving a message, while its advance probes approached the system’s outermost planet.
• Yue Yuan ordered the probe team to decelerate and send an Electromagnetic Wave Broadcast toward Pot Lid Vastness Star.
• Human scientists observed the star and estimated that it had five planets, then the Lyra received a message containing a map of the system.

Human Civilization studied the Nair Civilization’s Pot Lid Vastness Star system and considered the Nair’s invitation to dock at Pot Lid Five Planet. Yue Yuan and his staff judged the arrangement a sign of goodwill and prepared to proceed cautiously.

• Human scientists examined the five planets and their satellites, then adopted simpler names such as Pot Lid One Planet and Pot Lid Five Planet.
• Human Civilization read the Nair Governor’s Office message welcoming the fleet and assigning Pot Lid Five Planet as its docking place.
• A staff officer and a social science expert told Yue Yuan that the Nair Civilization had shown goodwill but warned him not to lower the fleet’s guard.
• Yue Yuan asked whether the fleet should follow the Nair’s arrangement, and the social science expert urged him to proceed because the outermost planet offered a safer docking location.

Yue Yuan decided to send Lyra, two other Lake-Class Warships, and four hundred transport ships to Pot Lid Five Planet while keeping most of the fleet with the Residential Spaceship Cluster. After his officers accepted the plan, humanity sent the Nair Civilization its docking arrangements and began decelerating toward Pot Lid Vastness Star.

• Yue Yuan proposed leaving the Residential Spaceship Cluster and most warships outside the Meteorite Belt while sending Lyra and four hundred transport ships to dock at Pot Lid Five Planet.
• Staff Officer Wei, Man Yuemei, and other officers argued that more warships should accompany the flagship, and Yue Yuan added two Lake-Class Warships to the docking group.
• Yue Yuan explained that the small force would demonstrate goodwill, rely on Lyra's strength, and preserve enough ships to protect the Residential Spaceship Cluster if the fleet from Great Blaze Star proved hostile.
• Yue Yuan assigned Man Yuemei to command the fleet remaining behind and ordered Staff Officer Liu and the Command Department to prepare emergency plans.
• Humanity agreed to tell the Nair Civilization how many warships would dock and to describe the arrangement as a gesture of goodwill.
• Humanity sent its reply to Pot Lid Vastness Star as the Great Fleet began decelerating.

Humanity’s probe 9527 entered the Nair Civilization’s territory and conversed with a Nair receptionist, who was surprised to learn it was controlled by AI. After reviewing the exchange, Nair officials debated whether humanity had overcome the danger of a Technological Crisis and whether they should obtain its AI technology.

• A Nair spacecraft met Probe 9527 beyond the Meteorite Belt, and its receptionist learned the human probe was controlled by Artificial Intelligence.
• The receptionist received approval for Probe 9527 to enter the orbital region of Pot Lid Five Planet and guided it there.
• During the journey, the receptionist questioned Probe 9527 about its identity, while the probe relayed their conversation to the Lyra and the Grand Governor of Pot Lid Vastness Star.
• Nair People gathered at the Grand Governor’s office to discuss the conversation, and a scientist argued that humanity’s AI technology should be acquired.
• Another Nair Person challenged the scientist, who explained that their civilization had banned advanced AI research after discovering ruins linked to a Technological Crisis.

Humanity’s fleet reached Pot Lid Five Planet and observed Nair Civilization’s busy orbital traffic and defensive fleet. Both civilizations examined each other’s Lake-Class Warships and concluded that their own designs were superior.

• Ai Dudu Scholar said Nair Civilization should ask humanity about preventing an AI rebellion and try to obtain the technology if humanity had a solution.
• The Lyra and its escort ships crossed the Meteorite Belt and traveled toward Pot Lid Five Planet.
• Humanity observed the spacecraft operating between the planet, Space Station, and inner orbit, as well as a fleet of seventy-three Nair Lake-Class Warships.
• Gao Kun pointed out that Nair Lake-Class Warships had three smaller main guns, and Yue Yuan judged that the Lyra could defeat all seventy-three ships.
• Nair military experts criticized the large-caliber guns on human Lake-Class Warships and believed their own ships could easily defeat the human vessels.

Yue Yuan assumed the Nair Civilization relied on Orbital Mass Accelerators because its technology seemed inferior to humanity’s, but a closer look at a huge orbital structure revealed it was a Space Elevator. The chapter left him puzzled by the elevator cars’ aerodynamic design on what he believed was an airless planet.

• Yue Yuan inspected the Nair Civilization’s orbital facilities and saw supplies launched from the ground by Orbital Mass Accelerators.
• Yue Yuan concluded that the Nair Civilization’s technology appeared inferior to humanity’s, especially in Materials Technology.
• Liu Miyan pointed out a huge orbital structure, and Yue Yuan asked Xiao Huang to enlarge feed number nine.
• Yue Yuan recognized the structure as a Space Elevator and examined its platform, cables, and cylindrical elevator cars.
• Yue Yuan wondered whether the Nair Civilization had given Pot Lid Five Planet an atmosphere.

Yue Yuan and the Command Center staff were excited to discover that the Nair Civilization had a Space Elevator, hoping to obtain its cable technology. Xu Zhenyi realized humanity’s apparent materials advantage came from technology salvaged from an unknown civilization, and that the Nair may surpass humanity in nanomaterials.

• Liu Miyan, Yi Kai, and Xu Zhenyi urged Yue Yuan to acquire the Nair Civilization’s Space Elevator technology through trade.
• Yue Yuan considered how Space Elevators would improve humanity’s ground-to-space transport and make planetary operations easier than using Orbital Mass Accelerators.
• Xu Zhenyi questioned Gao Kun’s claim that the Nair Civilization’s materials technology was inferior after seeing its Space Elevator cable.
• Gao Kun reminded Xu Zhenyi that humanity’s advanced alloys had originated from an Unknown Civilization warship that crashed on Callisto.
• Xu Zhenyi acknowledged that humanity’s materials advantage was limited to warship armor and suspected it remained behind the Nair Civilization in nanomaterials.