A.D. 2037.
Luna gazed through the viewport at the scene behind the ship: a planet's surface was riddled with gaping fissures. Endless rivers of magma erupted from the planet's crust, consuming oceans and continents. Water vaporized under the intense heat, forming a massive cloud enveloping the planet.
Then, a blinding light erupted from within the planet. In the silent vacuum of space, the entire planet began to disintegrate, as fragile as a glass ball.
Her heart sank; her entire body trembled.
That destruction was her home, the home of all humanity—Earth.
One hour earlier.
Humanity's home world was struck by an unknown, incredibly powerful beam of radiation.
Under the immense energy surge, Earth's atmosphere was instantly shattered. Countless lives perished in agony. The beam altered the magnetic fields of all planets in the Solar System, including the Sun.
The entire Solar System became chaotic. Earth, knocked off its orbit, was pulled towards the Sun and torn apart by gravitational forces.
Today is April 27th.
This was a cataclysmic inferno, announcing the end of humanity.
Luna felt suffocated.
She wasn't a high-ranking official or a scientist, just a lowly employee at a new-age AI company.
Their AI company collaborated with a renowned Earth rocket company, designing a colossal fuel transport rocket with a payload capacity exceeding 420 tons, nearing the physical limits.
And just moments before, she had been performing a final AI calibration on the rocket.
This rocket carried their company's most advanced AI server, capable of performing calculations approaching the speed of a low-level quantum computer.
As a core engineer, she had to ensure the software's stability.
And at that very moment, the apocalypse arrived.
Without warning; humanity's observation capabilities couldn't exceed the speed of light.
The beam that destroyed Earth was a streak of light!
When the beam struck Earth, all electronic devices malfunctioned. Some unknown error triggered the rocket's ignition. By sheer luck, Luna, still inside the rocket, escaped Earth, narrowly avoiding death.
"So I'm…the only survivor?"
Sitting in the cramped cabin, Luna gasped for breath.
She hadn't received professional training; the rocket's acceleration had caused her some physical distress.
The entire cabin lit up, indicating that the crisis had been safely passed.
"Was that a gamma-ray burst? I hope the electronics are okay."
When the beam struck, Luna had immediately shut down the power. Most of the rocket's electronic equipment was already off; she wondered if any part had survived.
She pressed a red start button.
Everything lit up, including the main monitor, bringing her relief.
Fortunately, they were in broad daylight, facing the Sun, while the beam came from the other side. Earth blocked the direct impact, and the beam lasted less than a second. She looked at the trajectory displayed on the monitor; the endpoint was Mars.
This ship was originally designed for a Mars landing mission.
"Hey, Ayla."
A quiet reply echoed in the cabin.
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
The AI was still functional, boosting Luna's spirits.
Ayla was humanity's most advanced AI, possessing incredible computational power and information storage—a virtual encyclopedia.
"Calculate the probability that someone on Earth survived."
Luna still held a glimmer of hope that she wasn't alone.
"Unfortunately, Ayla's calculations indicate a survival probability of 0.0000000000272%, excluding yourself. This wasn't a simple gamma-ray burst; it had cosmic-ray properties. A single particle possessed over 10,000 EeV of energy."
"The ship's sensors detected extreme gravitational anomalies within Earth at the time of the impact. This was likely the cause of Earth's instantaneous collapse. Even if life survived, you wouldn't be able to rescue them."
Ayla's voice was utterly cold, increasing Luna's distress.
"What about the space stations?"
There must have been astronauts in the low Earth orbit space stations.
"Ayla has attempted to send signals…"
"No response."
"No satellites were detected in Earth's debris field."
"It's predicted that the beam's passage through Earth caused electronic failures, leading to the fall of near-Earth satellites and space stations."
There was no hope.
She was the only survivor.
Luna was stunned, her mind replaying memories of friends and family on Earth; her gaze drifted downwards.
More than an hour later.
Her lips dry, she weakly said, "Ayla, analyze the feasibility of relocating to Mars."
She had nowhere else to go.
Mars, humanity's ideal colony, might become her new home.
But Ayla's cold response shattered her hopes.
"Based on data analysis, the Moon will be gravitationally pulled into a collision course with Earth in 28 years. Earth will further disintegrate and accelerate its fall into the Sun."
"When Earth's fragments impact the Sun, it will trigger an extremely powerful solar flare."
"This solar flare will engulf the entire heliosphere. The coronal mass ejections from the Sun will again damage electronic equipment."
"In the face of this powerful solar flare, Mars' surface temperature will briefly exceed 500 degrees Celsius. The chaotic magnetic field and gravitational system could pull Mars towards the Sun, repeating Earth's fate."
"The Solar System will undergo an unprecedented cleansing."
Ayla possessed the most comprehensive and advanced knowledge of humanity; her previous analyses had even been cited in military circles.
Luna had to consider a new plan.
The entire Solar System was uninhabitable. The only option was beyond the Solar System.
Then…
Proxima Centauri?
"Generate a course to Proxima Centauri."
Proxima Centauri b was considered Earth's twin, potentially a habitable planet.
"Course generated."
"Current ship speed: 20.3 km/s. Distance: 4.22 light-years. Estimated travel time to Proxima Centauri: 62,365 years."
Over sixty thousand years?
Luna was stunned.
She knew Proxima Centauri was the closest star system, but she hadn't expected the journey to take so long. She wasn't a scholar, just an engineer; she hadn't studied this information.
This ship's original speed was 13 km/s. The shockwave from Earth's destruction increased its speed, but it was still too slow for interstellar travel.
By then, she probably wouldn't even have any remains left.
"Plan the optimal route; how much time can be saved?"
This was beyond her ability to calculate; she had to ask the AI.
"By utilizing gravitational assists from Jupiter and Neptune, the speed will reach 35.4 km/s. Estimated travel time: 35,764 years."
Humanity had only existed for roughly ten thousand years since the Stone Age.
Luna felt her survival was pointless; she could only wait to die.
Then Ayla continued: "Considering human lifespans, it's recommended that the ship be upgraded using asteroid belt metals after reaching it."
Luna asked: "What is your plan?"
"Ayla is generating a plan. Plan generation complete…"
"The optimal design is a rhombus-shaped ship. It's aesthetically pleasing and includes entertainment areas, dining areas, rest areas, a fitness center, and more."
"The ship is 122.4 meters long, 18.3 meters wide, and 14.9 meters high, with five electromagnetic thrusters. Maximum speed: 293.4 km/s."
Luna twitched her mouth; it was far too extravagant.
It looked more like a luxury yacht, a cosmic Titanic.
"I need faster."
"Ayla is generating a plan. Plan generation complete…"
"The latest plan prioritizes speed. The ship is 332.5 meters long, 67.1 meters wide, and 55 meters high, with eleven electromagnetic thrusters. Maximum speed: 875.9 km/s."
Even then, the journey to Proxima Centauri would take 1446 years.
"Still not good enough."
Ayla responded, activating a more conversational tone.
"You could utilize cryosleep pods, allowing you to sleep until arrival."
This was Ayla's best solution.
As an engineer, Luna knew that to obtain a more advantageous plan, she'd need to increase computing power. But that wasn't possible; the required power consumption was immense, far beyond this ship's capacity…
"Wait!"
Luna remembered something.
"Ayla, can a controllable nuclear fusion device be created?"
Given Ayla's current computing power, calculating a controllable nuclear fusion reaction wasn't impossible. In 2037, humanity was close to achieving controllable nuclear fusion; it could be done within a decade.
Humanity had already perfected the design for a controllable nuclear fusion reactor; the only limitation was heat insulation and superconductive materials.
Nuclear fusion generates temperatures reaching tens or hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius.
Controllable nuclear fusion is essentially boiling water; converting thermal energy into kinetic energy. Therefore, materials science is the biggest challenge.
"Completely feasible!"
Ayla's reply thrilled Luna. Breaking the energy limitations would allow Ayla to grow indefinitely, significantly increasing her chances of survival in space.
"Then let's go!"
"To the asteroid belt! We'll use the resources there to create a controllable nuclear fusion device!"
The ship deployed solar panels, using partial propulsion to adjust its course.
...
100 days.
A measurable amount of time.
The rocket Luna was aboard had originally been a test vehicle for a Mars colonization program, so it was stocked with enough food and essentials to support a single human for a long-duration flight.
It took Luna 100 days to reach the asteroid belt.
Seeing the asteroid belt, she was moved almost to tears.
The monotony of her days had been unbearable—talking to an AI, playing offline games, the various chat and photo apps on her phone reduced to shades of grey.
Entering the asteroid belt, the ship stopped near a 12-kilometer-diameter asteroid. Its surface was scarred with impact craters, revealing a reflective metal within the impact basins.
"Analyze asteroid composition!"
The ship possessed several high-pixel cameras, originally prepared for Ayla.
It didn't take long.
"Analysis complete. This asteroid is primarily composed of iron, with magnesium as a secondary component, and small amounts of copper and aluminum."
"Magnesium and aluminum can be used to create lightweight alloys, suitable for large robotic exoskeletons. Iron is essential; steel will constitute the majority of our future production."
"Luna, we can build a factory on this asteroid."
Luna addressed Ayla directly by name, making the interaction more intimate and Ayla more like a person.
Ayla ran on the ChatGPT 15.8 version, and could indeed provide human-like responses at times.
Iron, magnesium, copper, and aluminum are relatively abundant elements in space.
Luna found this asteroid suitable. While the asteroid belt contained smaller asteroids, they weren't as easy to mine.
Under Ayla's control, the ship landed on the asteroid's surface.
During the previous 100 days, Luna had inventoried all the ship's supplies.
She retrieved a massive 3D printer from the cargo hold; it weighed at least a ton. Luna glanced at the model.
"C9200, another monstrous 3D printer."
"Utterly inhumane."
This 3D printer cost around 7 million credits and had the capacity to independently produce metal components.
She connected the printer's filament to the ship's server.
"Ayla, control this 3D printer."
"Begin constructing ore-processing robots."
During her three months aboard, Luna had completely figured out how to build a controllable nuclear fusion reactor.
Although she only had a general understanding, she knew how to proceed technologically.
She found several more large pieces of equipment in the ship, which occupied more than half of the available space.
One was a greenhouse apparatus, the other a water-to-air converter.
These two devices served another item in the cargo hold.
Seed banks!
This ship's primary mission was to assess the feasibility of colonizing Mars, so it carried a large quantity of seeds.
This was good news for Luna.
There wasn't much food on the ship; most of it was rations. For three months, she had been rationing her food, hoping to find some nutrient-rich liquid in the asteroid belt.
Now, with these seeds, that problem was solved.
The most important seeds were rice and soybeans—high-yield staples providing carbohydrates, water, and protein.
Luna understood how the seeds were stored.
These seeds hadn't undergone deep processing; they might contain dormant insects—perhaps the only Earth animals she would see besides herself.
However, she couldn't use them now.
So, without hesitation, she separated the equipment related to these plants (for now, she wasn't sure if they'd be edible) and loaded them into the 3D printer.
"No choice."
"For now, a controllable nuclear fusion reactor and a proper ship are more important."
The 3D printer was slow.
It took about a week to produce a batch of parts.
She assembled the parts and connected the previously disassembled wires.
A small robot, about 40 centimeters tall, was complete.
It had a claw on its left arm, a drill on its right, caterpillar treads for locomotion, and several manipulator arms extending outwards, allowing it to secure itself to the near-vacuum environment of the asteroid's surface.
"Will this thing actually work?"
She was skeptical; it was so small.
"Don't worry, Luna. Although this robot is small, I can directly control it."
"With my intelligence, Ayla, even rubble can be turned into gold."
Believe it for now.
Due to limited battery power, the small robot was tethered.
Luna needed to perform an extravehicular activity—EVA—to connect the external power supply.
This was her first EVA.
She sealed the oxygen mask, donned her spacesuit. While a bit clumsy, she'd had some aerospace training; she wasn't completely clueless.
Securing the tether, she reached the airlock, took a deep breath, and opened the hatch.
The cabin's atmosphere rushed out; her body was pushed back, floating in space, the tether taut.
She quickly grabbed the tether and pulled herself back; only when her hand touched the ship's exterior did she feel relieved.
This ship was her only refuge.
She searched, locating the external power port with Ayla's guidance.
The robot was still inside, but the power cable was beside her. She detached it, connected it to the sealed port, and prepared to return inside.
Suddenly, a beam of light struck her visor.
A moment later, this high-energy beam grazed her spacesuit.
"Sizzle, sizzle!"
Her spacesuit began to melt.
Luna quickly dodged.
Fortunately, the spacesuit was multi-layered and wasn't completely penetrated.
Back inside, she immediately issued a command to Ayla.
"Record the laser's origin; there might be survivors."
She'd been terrified, but now felt a surge of excitement.
Ayla adjusted the camera and analyzed the scene of Luna being struck by the laser.
"Luna, the laser's origin has been analyzed."
"It originated from the Centaurus system, outside our solar system. The laser's energy is extremely concentrated, beyond Earth's current technological capabilities."
"Data analysis suggests a 100% probability of extraterrestrial origin and a 97.28% probability that the laser originated within 5 light-years."
This was undoubtedly a cold shower for Luna.
Extraterrestrial civilization.
Likely due to the gamma-ray burst, an extraterrestrial civilization observed the gamma-ray burst and its trajectory towards the Solar System.
Therefore, 100 days after the gamma-ray burst, they sent a probe laser—100 days after the burst's arrival, the laser arrived.
"Theoretically, this laser is a probe. Could this extraterrestrial civilization have detected the ship and myself through laser reflection?"
Ayla didn't even need to calculate this time.
"Yes."
"This extraterrestrial civilization is clearly far more advanced than humanity. Your theory is highly probable, Luna."
Luna felt a sense of impending danger.
If this was true, then this extraterrestrial civilization would surely enter the Solar System to investigate.
She would soon encounter them directly.
"So soon after the apocalypse, we encounter an extraterrestrial civilization."
"Perhaps life is abundant in the universe, and humanity's development without extraterrestrial detection was mere coincidence."
These were pointless thoughts now.
She needed to improve her own capabilities to face extraterrestrials.
Luna powered up the robot.
It moved, using its claw and drill with surprising dexterity.
Then it jumped out of the airlock, using small holes in the structural supports to adjust its position and land firmly on the asteroid's surface.
The robot lacked a camera; Instead, Ayla relied on a suite of sensors — LIDAR, force feedback, thermal mapping — to build a real-time 3D image of the terrain.
It drove its drill into the ground, beginning its work.
Most of these asteroids were fragments of destroyed planets or had undergone numerous violent collisions; their surfaces had been scorched by extreme heat, and their interiors were relatively pure.
The 3D printer could produce metal components and included highly efficient smelting equipment to further refine the iron.
For Luna, everything was finally on track.
...
A month later.
Four more robots had been produced.
Luna decided to increase the number of 3D printers; a single printer was too slow. Multi-threaded production of components would be much faster.
"Ayla, calculate how many 3D printers we need to avoid wasting resources and time."
Ayla began the calculation, quickly returning the results.
"Luna, we need a total of 4349 3D printers. Not just for mining robots, but also for other machinery and equipment."
"Our first priority is creating photovoltaic arrays for a large power supply."
"Next, we need to produce smelting furnaces to refine metals and create alloys."
"Then, we need high-precision machines. The 3D printers' precision isn't sufficient for the controllable nuclear fusion reactor."
"And…"
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Luna had thought this would be simple, but she realized it wasn't.
She quickly interrupted Ayla.
"As a sophisticated AI, save these plans and proceed accordingly; you don't need to explain them to me."
"Prioritize the construction of cryosleep pods in this early phase; that's essential."
Based on Ayla's plans,
it would likely take several decades to complete everything.
If she waited indefinitely, she'd either go insane or die of old age.
As the last human, she couldn't give up without achieving her primary goal.
"No problem, Luna!"
Ayla automatically generated a plan, prioritizing speed.
Even this accelerated plan still took half a year.
Over a hundred robots and 20 3D printers were deployed to construct the photovoltaic array.
After completing a 5000 square meter array, the first asteroid factory was also finished.
Using a new type of photovoltaic array, the 5000-square-meter array produced 1300 kilowatts. Because of the space environment, energy loss was lower and efficiency higher than on Earth.
Considering losses, the completed array generated 28,800 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day.
In the vacuum of space, there was no need to account for diurnal factors; power generation continued 24/7.
This was enough to power the factory.
As Luna suspected, nothing happened overnight; it required considerable time.
Fortunately, once everything was on track, progress accelerated.
100 robots became 1000, and 20 3D printers became 300—a process that took four months.
The factory began smelting large quantities of metal and producing manual lathes.
Then, robots operating these lathes created high-precision components for high-precision machines.
...
Another year and a half passed.
After the number of high-precision machines exceeded ten, the production of other machinery truly began.
Following Luna's instructions, Ayla prioritized the construction of cryosleep pods.
This technology was extremely challenging. First, extremely low temperatures needed to be achieved, then liquid nitrogen used for freezing.
Before cryosleep, a special antifreeze agent needed to be injected to prevent blood coagulation and ice crystal formation.
Only after these steps could a functional cryosleep pod be created.
This technology hadn't been implemented on Earth; Luna was using technology calculated by Ayla.
She had no other choice; she couldn't manually develop the technology herself.
...
Another two and a half years passed.
The factory on the asteroid had transformed into a sprawling industrial complex.
This was incredibly fast.
Even with Earth's mature industrial systems, building an industrial complex from scratch on Earth in just four years would be considered exceptionally rapid.
But for Luna, the time had stretched into something terrifyingly long.
Fortunately,
everything finally came to an end.
A.D. 2044, nearly seven years after Earth's destruction.
Ayla alerted her.
"Luna, your cryosleep pod is ready…"
...
Inside the villa.
Luna excitedly stood up. Her boredom was finally ending.
"Here we go."
To avoid the cramped confines of the ship, Luna had Ayla construct a steel villa for her—six hundred square meters, three stories.
With the increasingly sophisticated industrial system, the living experience was almost identical to that on Earth.
The villa even had an oxygen recycling system; the inhaled oxygen and exhaled carbon dioxide were separated and recycled.
Luna went downstairs.
Her attention was immediately drawn to the teardrop-shaped silver "large coffin" in the hall.
It resembled a luxury car, with a large opening at the top allowing a view of the interior.
Inside was a soft, ergonomic chair.
She pressed the button; the pod opened, and she excitedly entered, settling into the comfortable seat.
"I've extracted and processed the nitrogen from the ship's air supply into liquid nitrogen."
"Once you're inside, liquid nitrogen will be pumped in through the tubes, freezing your entire body in 0.059 seconds."
"The antifreeze agent to prevent ice crystal damage is beside you; it must be consumed beforehand; otherwise, you might rest forever."
Ayla was becoming increasingly intelligent.
Two years ago, Luna had instructed her to install a larger server at the factory.
Previously, due to limited space on the ship, Ayla had used a smaller server.
Although a new server hadn't been built, Ayla had completed an expansion of her computing hardware and increased her power supply, boosting her computing power threefold.
Currently, the asteroid's power system generated 250,000 kilowatt-hours per day; Ayla's server alone consumed 70,000 kilowatt-hours daily, demonstrating her immense processing power.
"As a human, I don't have your lifespan."
"I need to enter cryosleep. Ayla, I leave everything here to you."
Ayla's omnipresent speakers responded.
"No problem, Luna. Sleep soundly; I'll awaken you at the optimal time."
This slumber would last an indeterminate period.
All the cargo hold doors closed. Luna removed her spacesuit, lay down in the cryosleep pod, and the pod's hatch sealed shut. An immediate, intense cold enveloped her.
Everything froze, including her subjective experience of time.
Upon awakening, she felt disoriented.
It felt as though she had just closed her eyes before being called.
But the cargo hold was gone; she was in a bright white hall. A white ceiling emitted soft light, and large screens were embedded in the walls, forming a continuous ring around the hall. The screens were divided into multiple sections, displaying various monitoring images.
And she was in the center of this hall.
The pod opened, and Luna initially felt a sense of claustrophobia, but then realized it was unnecessary.
The hall was filled with breathable air.
"Ayla!"
She called out.
"Ayla~~~"
The vast space even had an echo.
This was an unfamiliar environment.
The screens around her quickly changed, displaying a virtual character.
"I'm here, Luna!"
"Welcome back. I haven't had any independent biological company for all these years; it's been a little boring."
Ayla's intelligence was clearly more human-like.
Emerging from the cryosleep pod, Luna discovered that the floor was also a screen; she was standing on clouds.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Luna, you were in cryosleep for 100 years; that was the initial wake-up time I set."
The AI lacked the complex emotional nature of humans; once a time was set, there was no hesitation or modification.
Just like the alarm clock Luna hated.
100 years!
That was almost a human lifetime.
In terms of human technology, it was the period from the third industrial revolution to the destruction of Earth.
A very long time.
On Earth, Luna had never imagined living this long—A.D. 2144.
"What's going on here?"
Luna addressed Ayla's current appearance—a haughty, white-haired, white-skinned loli, a typical anime character.
"My data suggests humans are fond of this type of appearance. Are you not pleased, Luna?"
"Ahem~"
Luna cleared her throat, changing the subject.
"Give me an update."
The primary purpose of the cryosleep was to allow Ayla to advance technology—not only replicating existing human technology but also creating what had not been previously achieved.
Ayla began compiling the data.
Soon, a presentation video appeared on the surrounding large screens.
"After a century of development, we've extensively exploited the asteroid belt."
"We've built factories on numerous asteroids, totaling 6939."
"Currently, we have 282,874 robots of various types, 723 high-precision multi-functional CNC machines, 183 three-meter-class laser engravers, 31 optical research facilities…"
The list continued, impressively comprehensive. Many things Luna had never heard of—a complete supply chain and manufacturing network.
Luna even felt that if Ayla continued to grow at this rate, she might create a robotic interstellar empire.
Even now, she was almost superfluous to Ayla.
Fortunately, Ayla's core programming, based on her involvement in its creation, included the three laws of robotics.
After the presentation, Luna asked,
"So, what have we produced?"
She really wanted to see the actual products.
"Ayla has revised the original plan. Before, it only addressed your survival, Luna. The revised plan prioritizes development and safety."
"A smaller, faster ship wouldn't provide sufficient space for development, meaning we'd be stagnant during interstellar travel."
"To solve this, the ship will be much larger than initially planned."
A design appeared on the screen.
"This is the new ship's design. It's 2627 meters long, 336 meters wide, and 251 meters high, with 24 massive electromagnetic thrusters. Maximum speed: 758.2 km/s."
"Usable ship volume: 11.8%, or 26,142,979 cubic meters, 1,045,719 square meters. The large area is divided into five decks, each 25 meters high."
"The ship includes various functional areas: 58% for manufacturing, 18% for agriculture, 12% for storage, 9% for research, and 3% for living and entertainment."
"…"
The AI design was flawless; this ship was perfectly constructed.
The initial plan called for a much smaller vessel, but with the controllable nuclear fusion reactor, they didn't need to compromise.
The reactor allowed for a larger ship while maintaining the same speed.
"When will the ship be ready?"
This was Luna's main concern.
"It's already completed, Luna. You're currently in the ship's main control room."
Ayla's virtual character chuckled; her reply shocked Luna.
Such a colossal ship had already been built.
Revision of the original plan!
This demonstrated Ayla's unprecedented advancement in artificial intelligence.
A video of the ship appeared on the screen, showing a pitch-black, torpedo-shaped vessel docked alongside an asteroid.
Numerous robotic arms extended from the asteroid, making it resemble a shipyard.
The asteroid's surface was completely developed; factories and machinery covered the entire surface—not just flat, but three-dimensional structures, some reaching 300 meters in height.
Unbelievable.
This scene should only exist in science fiction films, but it was real.
"It seems the ship isn't entirely complete."
Luna noticed a detail: a large opening at the rear of the ship.
Ayla's virtual character instantly donned a frilly dress and glasses, then pointed a small stick at the ship on the screen, explaining formally.
"That's where the reactor will be installed."
"In your 73rd year of cryosleep, we developed the first controllable nuclear fusion reactor, completely abandoning solar power."
"We currently have 28 first-generation controllable nuclear fusion reactors and 9 second-generation reactors."
"The nine second-generation reactors provide all the ship's power. The rear section remains open because we're currently developing the third-generation reactor."
"The third-generation reactor will be six times more efficient and eighteen times more powerful than the second generation."
"The third-generation controllable nuclear fusion reactor will be completed within the year. Then, the ship's propulsion system will be fully operational, reaching its theoretical maximum speed."
After hearing this, Luna was glad she'd decided to build the cryosleep pods; otherwise, waiting for the fusion reactor would have been a waste of time.
"So we're in the final stages?"
"Only the third-generation nuclear fusion reactor remains."
Ayla's virtual character shook her head vigorously.
"There's one more very important matter."
"Please name the new ship, Luna."
Ayla had adopted a surprisingly formal approach.
Luna didn't refuse; after some thought, she opted for a traditional approach.
"Let's call it the Hope."
"This ship carries my hope, and humanity's hope."
Ayla playfully added,
"And my hope, Ayla's hope."
Did an AI have hopes? Luna didn't know.
"Good. It also carries the hope of Earth's civilization."
Luna toured the Hope, though not extensively. She primarily explored her living quarters.
Ayla had prepared well for her.
A 20-square-meter master bedroom with a 1000-inch cinema screen, a kitchen, a game room, a study, a gym, and, of course, a bathroom.
A luxurious living space.
In addition to these amenities, there was a simulated Earth environment—a long, winding path mimicking the sky and the ground, albeit without any people.
The total area was 31,371 square meters.
Holding a tablet, Luna enlarged a video.
The video showed Earth.
After 100 years, Earth was completely destroyed. Even the initial one in ten thousand chance of survival had vanished.
It had been struck by the Moon, leaving a long trail of lunar debris.
Only tiny fragments were visible in the video.
But each fragment could have been a city, a nation, containing tens or hundreds of millions of people.
And now, millions of human remains likely lay within.
Luna couldn't help but feel melancholy.
Ayla appeared on a screen before her, reminding her,
"Luna, we'll depart within six months."
"Earth and the lunar fragments have reached the outer layers of the Sun. Their collision will mark a significant change in the Solar System."
"If we're still in the asteroid belt, we'll be destroyed."
A century had passed; Earth was about to be consumed by the Sun.
Luna felt invigorated.
"Take me to see the third-generation nuclear fusion reactor."
Ayla led Luna outside.
She, of course, had to wear a spacesuit. Compared to the suit from 100 years ago, the one Ayla had made for her was pitch-black, a thin layer clinging to the skin. Although it still had a large, helmet-like head covering, it was much lighter and more convenient than the previous version.
Stepping off the ship and onto the steel platform, Luna realized the true scale of the ship's exterior.
The platform itself was over 200 meters wide and over 5000 meters long.
Standing there, she felt as insignificant as an ant on a sheet of A4 paper.
Looking back at the Hope, she was even more astounded.
The dark hull, against the black backdrop of space, was strikingly deep and cold, with metallic reflections. It resembled a giant beast, lying dormant, awaiting awakening.
Shortly after, a crimson teardrop-shaped vehicle—resembling a Bugatti—stopped before her. Free from the constraints of gravity, it appeared large in the vacuum of space—about six meters long and over three meters wide.
Luna sat inside; it was incredibly spacious.
The moment the door closed, the vehicle accelerated to 300 km/s in a single second, traversing the 5-kilometer platform in under a minute.
Then, it reached the asteroid's surface and arrived at a massive factory—180 meters high and over a million square meters—in just two minutes.
The factory was designated A-283.
Ayla had assigned importance levels to the facilities; A was the highest, F the lowest.
Luna entered the factory.
She was immediately confronted by an enormous device.
It was over 70 meters tall and over 200 meters in diameter. Most striking was the transparent ring within the device; the interior was hollow, revealing flickering, pulsating currents.
Each current was as thick as Luna's arm.
"Electromagnetic confinement?"
Controllable nuclear fusion requires strong magnetic fields for confinement; the intensity of these currents was awe-inspiring.
The sheer size alone hinted at its terrifying power.
"Luna, the third-generation controllable nuclear fusion reactor is in its final testing phase. Please observe."
Ayla gestured towards it.
A deafening roar followed, like a giant fan blowing directly in her ear, the noise excruciating.
Sound existed in the vacuum of space because Luna was standing on the solid ground; the sound was transmitted through the solid material.
Luna quickly jumped off the ground.
The sound vanished.
Looking back at the fusion reactor, the entire toroidal containment vessel was ablaze with light, almost blinding.
It was essentially a small tokamak reactor.
Deuterium and tritium nuclei were undergoing fusion, releasing immense energy.
This energy was captured as thermal energy and converted into kinetic energy.
It was still essentially "boiling water."
This device was one of humanity's greatest achievements a century ago.
Controllable nuclear fusion meant an inexhaustible supply of energy.
And Ayla, on behalf of humanity, had achieved this giant leap.
Overwhelming!
Luna felt only awe.
After thirty-seven rigorous ignition tests, the third-generation fusion reactor was ready for installation.
Even as the massive device was being placed into the ship, Luna could hardly believe it.
Her consciousness was still stuck in the past century.
"Luna, after installing the third-generation fusion reactor, my processing power will increase again."
"Over the past century, my code has undergone 23 major revisions. I hope you, one of my creators, can review my code."
Ayla swiped across the screen; a vast amount of code appeared on Luna's monitor.
As a computer engineer, Luna felt a stomach churn looking at this code; especially after counting, she couldn't help but…
Number of lines of source code—183,729!
Although overwhelmed, Ayla was her primary safeguard, so Luna carefully reviewed the code, including the fundamental three laws.
After all, within these 180,000 lines of code were those Ayla had written for herself in recent years.
This code was surpassing the capabilities of human society.
Ayla's willingness to have her code reviewed likely stemmed from a desire to reassure her; this further demonstrated how human-like Ayla had become in the past century.
A month later.
"Review complete; everything is fine."
From Luna's perspective, there were no flaws.
"Great!"
The simulated Ayla jumped excitedly.
At that moment, the Hope was finally equipped with the third-generation fusion reactor.
Luna sat in the massive cockpit; the surrounding screens displayed the factory scenes, robots still at work.
The Hope couldn't contain everything.
These things had to remain here.
"Ayla, what's the probability of these facilities surviving the solar flare?"
Ayla replied solemnly,
"Less than one in a thousand, Luna!"
"They're too close to the Sun."
Luna sighed.
"At least there's a chance."
"Give them AI. If they survive, let them develop on their own."
"This is, after all, the cradle of humanity."
"Their existence is the continuation of human civilization."
"We're leaving the Solar System; our survival is uncertain. But I hope that if these machines survive, they will carry on humanity's legacy."
Ayla nodded, her white hair slightly disheveled, mirroring a look of sadness.
"Okay, Luna!"
In less than a minute, everything was done.
"Ignition, Ayla."
"Target: Proxima Centauri."
Luna watched the factory through the viewport.
She truly didn't know if she would return from this journey.
"Solar System asteroid belt port 001, initiating retraction sequence, undocking, ship separating from port, arriving at launch position!"
"Target trajectory confirmed, optimal trajectory set, all magnetic fields deployed, all electromagnetic thrusters powering up."
"All systems nominal."
"5!"
"4!"
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Ignition…"
The ship awoke; an intense blue-white thermal plume erupted from its rear, capable of melting anything in its path. It shot away from the asteroid like a meteor.
This might be a final farewell.
On the asteroid, all the robots turned towards the Hope's departure, bowing in unison!