Cataclysmic Era: I can unlock the tech tree

【Earth】Main Laboratory.

The holographic projection directly in front displays a variety of observation data.

A mechanical transmission sound came from behind.

Then came a series of hurried footsteps.

Fang Xu subconsciously turned his head to look.

Upon seeing the person who had arrived, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

"Yongchang!"

"You've finally arrived!"

Lu Yongchang nodded to him, and without saying anything unnecessary, asked directly, "How's the situation now?"

Fang Xu shook his head.

"That's strange."

"Ross 154 is still shining brightly."

"In these ten hours, its brightness has increased by 5 magnitudes."

Lü Yongchang's expression changed slightly.

Abnormal.

This is very unusual.

Based on past experience, Ross 154, as a UV-type brilliance star in Cetus, typically only increases in magnitude by 3-4 when it reaches its maximum brilliance.

but now……

Both the duration and intensity of the brilliance are extremely unusual phenomena.

"Is there a problem with the chromosphere?"

Lu Yongchang frowned and muttered to himself.

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the holographic projection directly in front of him.

They attempted to find the cause of the anomalies by analyzing the rapidly changing data on the device.

A look of hesitation flashed across Fang Xu's face.

After hesitating for a long time, he reached out and gently tugged at the hem of Lü Yongchang's clothes.

"Um?"

Lu Yongchang looked away from the holographic projection with a puzzled expression and turned to Fang Xu beside him: "What's wrong?"

Fang Xu didn't speak immediately, but gave Lü Yongchang a wink.

Then, he lowered his voice and said, "Come with me."

After saying that, he grabbed Lü Yongchang's arm and walked towards a corner of the laboratory.

……

"Is there anything you can't say over there?"

In a corner of the main laboratory, Lü Yongchang looked at Fang Xu with a strange expression.

Perhaps because Lü Yongchang spoke loudly, several researchers cast curious glances at them.

A hint of anxiety flashed in Fang Xu's eyes, and he lowered his voice again, saying, "Be gentle!"

Seeing Fang Xu's expression, Lü Yongchang could only shrug helplessly and deliberately lower his voice.

"Tell me, what's the matter that needs to be made so mysterious?"

Fang Xu's hesitation deepened.

"Yongchang, what do you say...?"

"Is it possible that something like that happened on Ross 154's side?"

Lu Yongchang's expression suddenly froze.

He reacted quickly.

After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head solemnly.

"It cannot be determined at this time."

"Our understanding of the universe is too shallow. Perhaps Ross 154 was just an extremely rare flash."

Fang Xu's face was full of worry.

"if……"

"I mean, if Ross 154 also crashes, do we have any alternative destinations?"

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

"Why……"

Lü Yongchang sighed and slowly shook his head.

"Currently, there are none."

"The Proxima Centauri explored all star systems within a 15-light-year radius."

"According to their data, apart from the solar system, only Ross 154 can barely be considered a star system suitable for human development."

"The others... are not very suitable for development for humanity at present."

Seeing the confusion in Fang Xu's eyes, Lü Yongchang explained softly.

"In some star systems, the host star is too violent for humans to survive."

"The other part... either lacks habitable solid planets or lacks gaseous planets to provide energy."

He sighed again as he said this.

"In short, I hope it won't be the worst outcome."

"Otherwise, we may need to be mentally prepared."

……

Fang Xu followed behind Lü Yongchang, his face grave as he returned to his seat.

"Academician Fang, what did Professor Lü say?"

An academician beside Fang Xu asked him a question.

Several researchers cast expectant glances at him.

Looking at the gazes of the people around him, Fang Xu opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to speak.

"cough!"

Lü Yongchang's voice was amplified by the microphone and rang out in the main laboratory.

"Everyone, I'd like to say a few words."

The attention of all the researchers was instantly drawn to it.

Fang Xu subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't really have the courage to say such bad news that concerned the fate of humanity.

"Everyone."

Lu Yongchang scanned the crowd, his expression unusually serious.

Noticing the chief researcher's unusual demeanor, the hearts of all the researchers present sank.

The atmosphere in the laboratory suddenly became heavy.

"The changes in Ross 154 are inexplicable."

"At present, we cannot rule out the possibility that it has been attacked by a more advanced civilization."

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur of discussion arose in the laboratory.

Everyone wore expressions of surprise and uncertainty.

"So, what do we do now?"

A faint question came from below: "Isn't it our future destination?"

Lü Yongchang shrugged: "I was just describing the worst-case scenario."

"Personally, I'm more inclined to believe that something happened inside that we don't know about."

"After all, unlike the Sun, Ross 154 is an extremely young star."

A series of relaxed exhales immediately filled the air around them.

Cao Liangcai reached up and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, a slightly relaxed smile appearing on his lips.

Lu Yongchang said with a relaxed expression, "Perhaps, in a few hours, we will be pleasantly surprised to find that it has returned to its original state."

"Everyone, let's continue to observe."

"If there's any good news, remember to let me know." Lü Yongchang even joked, "I don't want to hear Academician Fang's words again."

The atmosphere in the laboratory immediately became lively.

As for Lü Yongchang, when everyone's attention was focused on the holographic projection again, he gave Cao Liangcai a subtle wink in the distance.

Then, he walked calmly toward the laboratory door.

Upon seeing this, the smile that had just appeared on Cao Liangcai's face vanished instantly.

Two words flashed through his mind.

broken.

It seems the situation is far more complex than Lü Yongchang described.

Cao Liangcai "naturally" unhooked the electromagnetic adsorption device on the chair and stood up without making a sound.

"Academician Cao?"

A researcher nearby cast a questioning look at him.

Cao Liangcai smiled with a relaxed expression.

"I'm going to the restroom."

"I'm getting old, my heart can't handle it anymore."

"What Professor Lü said just now almost scared me to death."

The researcher who asked the question paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

The air in the laboratory was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

But no one saw it.

The moment Cao Liangcai turned his back, the relaxed smile on his face vanished completely.