Hot Wavelength

Chapter 28 (A sudden surge of anger 2): The Backup Plan
In November 2029, Liangguo Rocket City

A Nikola self-driving electric car sped along the highway, Daphne Braun resting her head gently on Michael's shoulder. Michael's thoughts, however, had already drifted out the window.

If he suspends his plan to "illuminate" Enceladus using superluminal waves, he doesn't know if he can still convince investors, including Prince Harufa, that he truly possesses super energy and is therefore willing to invest astronomical sums in his project.

Daphne subconsciously touched her belly and lightly touched Michael's cheek with her lips. Michael was pulled back to reality. His strong hand gently stroked Daphne's abdomen, exploring and sensing the developing fetus.

Daphne could sense the disappointment that Martha's interview outline brought to Michael, and she was also curious about the other experiment Michael mentioned. Once the Saturn rings experiment started, Michael began to talk non-stop again.

Enceladus has a semi-major axis of over 23 kilometers. Its inner orbital plane is covered with rings of Saturn's rings, which are divided into several different rings with different names. Among them, the B ring is the brightest, and it is composed of the thickest and most numerous rocky and icy rocks.

These rings have been observed for hundreds of years. It wasn't until the US space agency launched a probe to observe the Saturnian system up close that astronomers were surprised to discover a vast, faint but sparse ring in the outer orbit of Enceladus, which was named the E ring.

Previously, astronomers believed that the inner ring of Enceladus, composed of billions of ice and rock, was formed from debris left by the explosion of one of Saturn's giant moons. Was the outer E ring also formed from a moon explosion?
The E ring extends from Enceladus to Titan's orbit, and even faintly appears as far as Titan's moon, with a disk radius spanning nearly a million kilometers.

Based on calculations of the dynamic rotation of matter in each ring of this enormous "disk" using the law of universal gravitation, astronomers concluded that the structure of the E ring could only exist for ten thousand to one million years. One million years is but a blink of an eye compared to the billions of years of lifespan of the solar system's disk.

If the law of universal gravitation is correct, and the lifespan of the E-ring is indeed that short, astronomers would have to accept the embarrassing coincidence that the lifespans of humanity and the E-ring happen to overlap at the same point on a timeline spanning billions of years.

Daphne, who knew Saturn's rings well, told Michael:

"No one knew the angular velocity of each ring of Saturn before. According to the law of universal gravitation, their angular velocities are faster inside and slower outside. If we set up markers in different rings and measured their angular velocities, and if the angular velocities were close to being the same, would the law of universal gravitation be replaced by a new theory of gravity?"

"Yes, actually we don't even need to wait for the experimental results. We can see from the photos of Saturn's rings that they don't look like a series of gears with a slow outer ring and a fast inner ring. Instead, they look more like a tightly connected disk that rotates as a whole in a consistent manner. In that case, its lifespan would be far more than ten thousand years!"

Michael's phone rang. It was Erin calling, saying that Prince Harufa wanted Michael and Daphne to have breakfast at his hotel the next day.

The next morning, Michael and Daphne arrived as agreed. Michael's years of business experience told him that Prince Harufa seemed to have increased his interest in investing in him.

However, what made Michael less confident was that the Enceladus ice lamp project, which he was forced to abandon, could not demonstrate the power of the super energy he had mastered. Moreover, restarting Mars would require a huge financial investment, and most importantly, the return on investment would take a very, very long time.

Prince Harufa was very straightforward; he got straight to the point and asked Michael, "Can you tell me about your plan? How much money do you need to invest?"

"My plan is to terraform and reboot Mars, making it like Earth, suitable for human habitation, or in other words, turning Mars into a backup for Earth," Michael briefly stated his explosive plan.

Eileen's hand unconsciously rested on the table, causing the bowls, plates, and silver cutlery on the table to tremble slightly. Prince Harufa put his coffee cup back on the saucer, looked up and stared directly at Michael, as if encouraging him to elaborate.

Michael turned to Daphne and said slowly, "My dear girlfriend is an expert on Mars. Let her tell me what it would take to turn Mars into Earth."

This was the first time Daphne had heard this crazy plan from Michael, and she spoke with great interest and familiarity:

"For humans to live freely on the surface of Mars, an atmosphere with adequate oxygen content is needed, liquid water to maintain biodiversity, including oceans, lakes and rivers, and planetary dipole magnetic fields that can withstand high-energy particles from the sun and interstellar space."

After listening to Daphne's explanation, Prince Harufa leaned back in his chair, having leaned slightly forward. Michael completely understood the reaction of a normal person upon first hearing his insane plan. Rebooting and terraforming Mars, creating an atmosphere, liquid water, and a planetary magnetic field—this was beyond human capability. The word "crazy" couldn't even begin to describe this idea; it was utterly absurd and delusional.

"I have mastered a method to obtain super energy. I will build a huge device on Mars to absorb energy and introduce it into the Martian core. The cooled metal core will be heated and turned into a hot liquid, restarting the magnetic field."

“If that were to happen, the ice beneath Mars would melt and emerge to form oceans,” Daphne added. “The dry ice at the Martian south pole would sublimate into carbon dioxide and form an atmosphere.”

“Yes, the greenhouse effect and liquid water promote the flourishing of algae and other plants, which produce oxygen through photosynthesis, eventually turning Mars into a habitable planet similar to Earth,” Michael said.

Prince Harufa picked up his coffee cup again and asked, "Hmm, I imagine this plan must require a lot of money, right? It seems you're trying to convince me not just of an investment, but more like a grand undertaking. I suspect not many people will be willing to invest in you. Do you think I'll invest in you?"

Michael tensed instantly, staring intently into the prince's eyes, hoping to glean some clue.

Prince Harufa's next words were like a bombshell, he said:
“Even if all your plans are feasible, with my limited astronomical knowledge, I understand that it could take thousands or even thousands of years for Mars to be transformed into a backup for Earth. This is not an investment at all, and no one can expect a return.”

Compared to Michael, Daphne and Eileen, who were sitting at the same table, seemed more embarrassed.

Surprisingly, Prince Harufa remained calm and composed. He extended his right hand, palm up, made a fist, and then slowly opened it, saying:
There is a proverb in my hometown: "Sand will turn into gold, but gold will eventually turn back into sand. You can't hold onto sand if you clench your fist, and when you let go, even the sand will flow away."

Amidst everyone's confusion, the prince explained:

"My country is lucky; the ground is all sand, and gold is buried beneath the sand. But the wisdom of our ancestors tells us that gold is panned from sand, and the gold in our hands will one day turn back into sand."

Michael, as if emerging from an ice cave, felt his blood rush to his head and his face turn bright red. He urgently asked Prince Harufa:
"Even with a huge investment and no return in sight, are you willing to take the risk with me?"

Prince Harufa laughed heartily, extended his right hand, and grasped Michael's hand firmly, saying:

"Why not? Take it before my gold turns back into sand, and prepare a backup plan for the Earth."

Michael sincerely thanked the prince for his courage and generosity, then suddenly recalled the public reports about the prince's smart city cluster plan and asked:
“I’ve heard that you also have a grand plan to build a cluster of smart cities in the desert. If you have any needs in the field of artificial intelligence, I will do my best to support you.”

Michael said excitedly, thinking to himself, "If I had known the prince had such a magnanimous spirit, why would I have bothered to become that 'ice lantern' on Enceladus!"

Everyone chatted happily and raised their glasses in celebration. Eileen said with some regret, "Transforming Mars, what a crazy and wonderful plan! It's a pity that even if it succeeds perfectly, none of us may live to see it."

Michael smiled mysteriously and said, "It's not impossible to see. I not only want to reshape the terrain of Mars, but also to back up human genes and uploaded consciousness to Mars. That's what you call a true backup for Earth."

&
The poem composed of collected verses at the end of the chapter:
To explore the wonders above, Ming Dynasty, Huang Youji

I wish to borrow the remaining light from my maternal relatives. — Lou Yue, Song Dynasty

Stone cliff beneath Martian rock, Song Dynasty, Su Shi
Only your family is close to my hometown. (Song Dynasty, Guo Xiangzheng)
(End of this chapter)