Prologue

August 2029, Rocket City, Liang Nation

After nearly six years of flight, the Lingguang probe was about to reach Lingshen Star. Among 500,000 asteroids, Lingshen Star was the most peculiar. Its primary components were metals like iron and nickel, its surface uneven and riddled with honeycomb-like pores.

According to Professor Braun, it was likely the core of an ancient planet.

The Lingguang's solar panels, when deployed, were the size of a tennis court, powering its novel thruster. Electrons reacted with the xenon ions excited by the propulsion system, leaving a dreamlike blue-green plume trailing through the void of space.

In the control room of the Liang Nation Space Administration, Dr. Daphne Braun, a member of the Lingguang probe project team, stared intently at the large screen of the monitor.

Perhaps due to nervousness, her body leaned involuntarily towards Michael Max beside her. The two had been deeply in love for over half a year.

Michael Max was the world's richest man, a legendary heroic figure.

In 2023, his Acebe Company's unique Hunter-5 Rocket launched the Liang Nation Space Administration's Lingguang into space. Michael and his company naturally became partners in the Lingshen Star exploration project.

Acebe Space Technology Company was not new to collaborating with the Space Administration. Once the rocket sent Lingguang into orbit, the mission was complete. For years after the launch, Michael had shown no interest in Lingguang.

Starting last year, he suddenly displayed immense enthusiasm for Lingshen Star. Ostensibly because he had fallen for Daphne, who joined the project team right after graduation, the real reason was that he had discovered Lingshen Star's unique nature.

Scientists on Earth observed Lingshen Star. Through spectral analysis, besides confirming iron and nickel components, they strongly suspected a large amount of gold was also present in its composition.

Gold, compared to asteroid research, naturally garnered more attention from the media and the public. Some even calculated the value of this metallic star to be over a trillion US dollars.

Michael Max was not interested in money. He was an "adventurer" who could turn crazy ideas into reality. Being the world's richest man was not his goal, merely a byproduct of his pioneering spirit.

His interest in Lingshen Star had nothing to do with money.

"Lingguang has successfully entered orbit, imaging system activated," Daphne announced excitedly. It was her first time participating in such an important project, and joy lit up her face. After nearly a year of waiting since joining the project team, her anxiety vanished at this moment.

"Is the image transmitted in real-time or compressed and then sent?" Michael asked.

"Real-time transmission. Lingshen Star is currently about 1.7 astronomical units from Earth. In 15 minutes, we'll receive the first high-definition image," Daphne replied.

After entering orbit, Lingguang drew closer to Lingshen Star. Besides the imaging system, the spectrometer, mass spectrometer, and high-resolution radar were activated one by one. The frequency signals emitted by the probe's various electronic devices superimposed on Lingshen Star's surface.

This lonely, self-rotating asteroid finally welcomed human contact, bathed in the strobing of various photoelectric signals.

Suddenly, Lingshen Star seemed to come alive, emitting invisible, intangible ultra-low frequency radio waves. They were chaotic and intensifying, causing resonance and sympathetic vibration that instantly destroyed all of Lingguang's electrical equipment.

Fifteen minutes later, the decompressed image of Lingshen Star appeared clearly on the large screen in the control room.

Daphne exclaimed, "Wow, the cross-section of the hollow is all regular hexagons. It looks artificial?"

Michael was not surprised. "Nature's power is miraculous; anything is possible," he said.

Daphne adjusted the signal amplifier for the high-resolution radar, observing the radar reflection signals displayed on the screen. The signals fluctuated and jumped across a continuous frequency band from low to high, as if taking an electroencephalogram of Lingshen Star.

The ultra-low frequency band began to show anomalies, with amplitudes increasing. The amplitudes in the 0.5 Hz to 30 Hz range slammed against the top and bottom edges of the display screen.

Suddenly, the images and radar signals from Lingguang completely cut off.

The air in the control room seemed to freeze. Everyone adjusted equipment and restarted systems in vain. After several unsuccessful attempts, they had no choice but to accept the cold reality: the Lingguang probe's mission to explore Lingshen Star had ended before it even truly began.

That evening, at Michael's home, a prefabricated house inhabited by the eccentric billionaire, Daphne input the non-confidential Lingshen Star data into Michael's supercomputer.

Michael sat in a custom device resembling an aircraft seat, put on a sensor helmet, lowered the visor, and began a brain-computer fusion meditation.

Starting in 2018, Michael Max assembled a laboratory and recruited top experts in biology and computational science to develop a brain-computer fusion project.

In 2019, the first-generation prototype was completed. It could connect with human brainwaves through non-contact magnetic field sensors, assisting the human brain in memory retrieval, mind mapping, and pathfinding, significantly increasing the tester's thinking efficiency and stimulating deeper, more comprehensive thought outcomes.

At that time, a landmark building in Neon Capital had just been completed. Designed by a British architect inspired by ancient Indian stepwells, it seemed to have no practical function. It was cast from massive metal components, with interconnected steps extending upwards, seemingly without end.

While Indian stepwells descended, this building's steps layered upon each other, ascending. It had a nickname: "Stairway to Heaven."

Michael greatly admired the building's concept and named his human brain assistant after its official name: VESSEL.

Michael's imagination always ran wilder than others. While logic-driven AI was booming, he began researching brain-computer fusion, drilling a hole in the skull to implant a chip, turning the phrase "thinking outside the box" into a literal action.

When GPU display technology merged with computation, and AI evolved from logic-inspired to scene-inspired, eliciting widespread cheers, Michael had already improved the invasive cranial link to a non-contact, sensor-based brain-computer fusion.

Michael firmly believed that the human brain was the most complete and energy-efficient neural network system. Computers should assist human thought, not the other way around.

Daphne sat by the window, quietly waiting for the answers Michael would get from VESSEL. The summer breeze squeezed through the open window crack, caressing her golden hair.

Daphne had already analyzed the data, but she still hoped Michael and VESSEL, this "superbrain," could provide a more precise analysis. After all, her own analysis results were almost unbelievable.

Michael lightly touched the power-off button on the right armrest, pushed open the visor, and removed the helmet. He blinked, seemingly still in thought.

"Did you get any results? What do you think happened?" Daphne asked.

"Hmm, I analyzed four ultra-low frequency bands and their corresponding amplitudes," Michael said, standing up and walking to the blackboard. As if afraid of forgetting, he rapidly wrote:

Frequencies from 14~30 Hz, 5~20 microvolts. Frequencies from 8~13 Hz, 20~100 microvolts. Frequencies from 4~7 Hz, 100~150 microvolts. Frequencies from 0.5~3 Hz, 20~200 microvolts.

"These correspond to the Beta Wave, Alpha Wave, Theta Wave, and Delta Wave of human brainwaves, respectively," Daphne said, stating the same analysis result she had reached, awaiting Michael's confirmation.

"Yes, Daphne. My conclusion is that Lingguang received electromagnetic waves similar to those emitted by the human brain."

"Lingshen Star, with a diameter of about 250 kilometers, is merely a giant chunk of metal. How could it possibly emit electromagnetic waves similar to a human brain?" Daphne grabbed Michael's arm, shaking it as she murmured:

"How is this possible?"

&

Poem Compiled from Chapter Titles:

Strings and songs embrace, weariness to greet, Song, Liu Zai

Dawn drums urge the court, the shortest watch. Ming, Li Xing

A thousand thoughts fill two sheets of paper, Tang, Bai Juyi

In the nine heavens, awake and asleep, loyalty remembered. Song, Chen Liang