The Crankshaft Engine was the only faster-than-light engine for space travel that Luo Xia had mastered so far. Although he already had the technical blueprints, even with the AllSpark's manufacturing capabilities, it had taken several months to build the first one.
To test the Crankshaft Engine's performance as soon as possible, Luo Xia had Sarah build the shell of a large spaceship...
Yes, only the shell.
After all, building a fully functional spaceship would probably take even longer than building the Crankshaft Engine.
So Luo Xia had only the most basic propulsion and space-navigation systems installed, then fitted the shell over them. He set off on his first journey through space in a crude spaceship that looked like an olive with a flamethrower attached.
Since the ship did not even have a life-support system—no oxygen, air pressure, artificial gravity, or anything of the sort—Luo Xia had no choice but to switch back into the body made of Liquid Vibranium. Otherwise, he would not have been able to make this voyage at all.
"All preparations complete. Crankshaft Engine beginning charge. Calculating coordinates..."
A series of system notifications sounded. Luo Xia stood steadily within the completely empty cabin. This spaceship also possessed a secondary Intelligence Sequence and was controlled entirely through the AllSpark.
"Firebearer One, depart!"
At Luo Xia's command, the olive-shaped ship hovering above the base instantly turned into a streak of light and shot into the sky. There was no gradual acceleration whatsoever. It was as though the entire ship had transformed directly into a photon, leaving behind an aurora-like trail in the heavens.
Before long, the spaceship Luo Xia had named Firebearer One appeared in the empty void of space.
"Calculating coordinates... Deviation value..."
Countless streams of data flashed before Luo Xia's eyes—the detailed records from the Crankshaft Engine's