A Historic Moment

"I don't think your theory can be realized."

"No, it can be. Negative matter exists; balance it with positive matter, and everything becomes reasonable."

Two intelligent beings with vastly different appearances walked through a tunnel built from stone. Lighting fixtures had been installed along both sides, keeping the tunnel from becoming so dark that one could not see one's hand in front of one's face.

The intelligent being in front had a pair of tentacles and six fanged limbs. Its fanged limbs served as feet as it led the way.

The intelligent being following behind walked upright on four legs and wore an outfit called "clothes."

They were a Collector and a Seline, and they were on Ming, the Collectors' homeworld, within Amoeba's home star system.

The Seline and the Collector conversed as they walked.

The Seline kept rejecting the idea. "Even so, it's still impossible. Such a thing violates the fundamental laws of spacetime in this universe—it even violates causality. I think it could at most remain infinitely close to the speed of light."

"You really are stubborn. Then let the facts speak for themselves. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth."

The Collector did not want to waste any more words arguing with the Seline over this, because it knew such arguments were meaningless. What worked, worked; what did not, did not. The universe's physics would not change because of their debate.

The Seline was visibly stunned. He was astonished by those philosophical words, especially because they had come from a Collector.

Would Collectors study philosophy? Obviously not. It did not fit their style, which was why the Seline, who considered himself familiar with them, was so surprised.

"Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth? What a philosophical statement. Could there actually be philosophical masters among