Meeting

Two hours later, in the forward conference room of the spaceship, Captain Regi, dressed in a tight-fitting uniform, looked at the more than twenty people in the room and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, apart from the members of the first and second navigation teams and the Guard Team, everyone else has gathered here. This is the first time we have woken up so many people since we set sail. I believe you all already know the reason for this emergency wake-up call."

After a pause, Captain Regi continued, "Over sixty years ago, our most advanced observation equipment detected an abnormal energy burst on Planet T853 in the T85 Star System. This delighted us Riken, but it also kept us up at night. We were delighted because we were not alone in the vast sea of stars, but we were uneasy because we didn't know the nature of our neighbors."

"However, judging others by our own standards, let's look at the history of the Riken, not to mention completely different unknown races. Although a small number of ignorant people call for peaceful coexistence, fortunately, most of us are clear-headed, which is why we had Operation Cat Ear and this Cat Ear Spaceship."

"More than fifty years ago, you, the elite of the elite among the Riken, boarded this ship for various reasons to carry out this mission, which was expected to last about 130 years. Although you are all in hibernation and sleeping most of the time, time is still flowing normally for our relatives and friends on our Mother Planet."

He glanced around the conference room, noticing the somber mood among the group, their memories stirred. He continued, "Even though we Riken have increased our lifespan to over 300 years due to advancements in genetic technology, and our Mother Planet's technology may have progressed further during our absence, whatever happens, when we return, everything will be different."

"However, once we complete this epic mission, all the wealth, power, and everything else we've lost will be returned to us, many times over."

Captain Regi first painted a rosy picture to motivate everyone. Those who had just woken up and were still a bit groggy had their adrenaline levels spiked, and they started to dream about the future, gradually becoming excited.

Having roused the emotions, Captain Regi continued, "After we first observed the energy burst, the Federation took it very seriously, assembling a team of nearly ten thousand people from all walks of life. After discussion and analysis, the energy burst on planet T853 was most likely a small-scale, man-made nuclear test."

"Although some have suggested that the other side may have already mastered the corresponding fusion technology, but simply failed to detect it due to our outdated observation equipment, most members of the Think Tank remain relatively optimistic. Based on its intensity and frequency, they speculate that the other side is likely still in the early stages of fusion reaction research."

"Then, by comparing this with our own history of technological development, we deduced that the other side is about 300 years behind us in terms of technology. Our mission is to confirm this information."

"However, since we set sail, planet T853 has never experienced another energy burst. This is extremely abnormal. Considering our own experience, a civilization that wants to continue developing inevitably needs various experiments. At those times, it is unavoidable that some abnormal energy levels will emerge."

"Each time I awaken, I communicate with my Mother Planet. As time goes by, many scholars have even claimed that the energy bursts on planet T853 are just rare natural phenomena. Just because our Mother Planet doesn't have them doesn't mean other planets can't. Over the decades, as the hype has died down, we've received less and less attention. Perhaps, before long, we'll be completely forgotten."

The excitement that had just begun to build was suddenly dampened, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it. This information was known only to the captain and the ship's main AI. Without proper authorization, it would never be known.

"However, there's always a way out. Not long ago, planet T853 experienced another energy burst. This time we were closer to it and obtained more data. Now, we can confirm that this is not a natural phenomenon, but man-made. Therefore, if we can seize this opportunity and explore more information, we, the Riken, may very well have an extraterrestrial Colony Star. We will open a new chapter for the Riken, and at that time, all of you here will be recorded in history."

Everyone stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

Captain Regi pressed his hand down and continued, "But before that, we must complete our mission successfully. Victory is within our grasp, so please do not be careless."

Everyone nodded in agreement. There were many examples of people falling before victory, and everyone took them as a warning. As long as they completed this mission, they would be heroes of the entire civilization, and then whatever they did would be like having a get-out-of-jail-free card.

"Captain Regi, should we transmit the data we've obtained back to our Mother Planet?" someone asked. Transmitting information across light-years is extremely energy-intensive, and only the captain has the relevant authority.

"During the time you all were recovering, I instructed Celia to transmit the data she observed back to our Mother Planet. However, after some time, our Mother Planet should also have detected this unusual energy burst and will probably send us a message. But due to the limitations of our information transmission speed, it is estimated that we will receive the message from our Mother Planet in a few years," Captain Regi said.

The Riken still rely on radio waves for communication, so the transmission speed is the speed of light. Within their own Mother Planet, the delay in this communication is not significant, but the delay is extremely large when communicating with other star systems.

The Cat Ear Spaceship is the pinnacle of technology achieved by the Riken fifty years ago. The spaceship is equipped with observation rooms, communication rooms, conference rooms, captain's cabins, command rooms, duty rooms, weapons rooms, and other functional areas, as well as rest areas, fitness areas, restaurants, bathhouses, cinemas, and hospitals.

In terms of weaponry, since the ship is not a main combat vessel, it is only equipped with space torpedoes, Close-In Weapon System, two laser main guns, and several secondary guns.

The propulsion system uses a large solar sail made of a chemically synthesized, repairable imide resin with a thickness of only 0.0005 millimeters. Through a long acceleration process, it can accelerate the spacecraft to one-eighth the speed of light.

Their current location is 4.3 light-years away from their Mother Planet, so a one-way communication would take more than 4 years. A round trip, including the distance they travel during this time, would take about 9 years.

In terms of communication alone, the Swarm's advanced technology has left them completely in the dust. Although their spaceships are a bit faster.

"Captain, what do we need to do now?" someone asked in the conference room.

"We are 1.1 light-years away from planet T853. In five years, our ship will begin to decelerate, and it is estimated that it will take a total of eleven years to reach it. During this time, I ask everyone to stay alert. The navigator groups three and four will be combined, and groups one and two will be combined, with each group taking turns for three years. The same applies to the research group; one group must remain awake at least once. As for the Guard Team, I require all of you to be awakened in eight years for restorative training. I will go into hibernation every six months, each time for six months. Does anyone have any questions?" Captain Regi assigned the tasks.

"Captain, no problem."