APTnovel Chapter 1: The Secret Meeting (1)
Chapter 1: The Secret Meeting (1)
The vast starry sky is dotted with countless stars. On the Orion Arm, the third arm of the Milky Way, a yellow dwarf star, the Sun, radiates light and heat, illuminating its own private space. 150 million kilometers away from the Sun, a blue planet, Earth, has been drawing energy from the Sun since 46 billion years ago, nurturing its own life and civilization. Life fades with time, and civilizations rise and fall with it. In the annals of Earth's history, giants have emerged who led eras of change, and also those who caused the destruction of various civilizations. During Earth's fifth civilization, scientific giants such as Aristotle, Copernicus, Newton, von Neumann, Planck, and Einstein appeared. Einstein's special theory of relativity, in particular, established the principle of the constancy of the speed of light: light always travels at a constant speed c₀ in a vacuum. Countless human beings have gazed at the stars, pondering the origins of life and the future direction of civilization. Human civilization has evolved through agricultural, industrial, and information societies. Of course, throughout human history, various tribes and nations have waged countless wars for survival, development, and the acquisition of more resources, especially the two World Wars in modern times. Regardless, human civilization, like a small ant, has stumbled and struggled forward. From microscopic particles to distant galaxies, humanity has made arduous efforts, tirelessly exploring and developing. The Standard Model of particle physics predicted the existence of 62 fundamental particles, of which 60 have been experimentally confirmed. The Higgs boson and graviton are the last two undiscovered fundamental particles, and the Belgian astronomer and cosmologist Georges Lemaître first proposed the Big Bang hypothesis.
In the 1970s, David Lee's Cornell cryogenic team first discovered the superfluidity of helium-3.
On November 23, 2013, scientists used a particle detector buried under the Antarctic ice to capture for the first time high-energy neutrinos originating from outside the solar system. These neutrinos are known as the "invisible men" of the universe.
On September 14, 2015, LIGO detected the first gravitational wave signal.
地球纪元公元2016年3月15日，人工智能AlphaGo（阿法狗）以4:1战胜李世石。
On September 27, 2016, Elon Musk, an American, said he would send hundreds or thousands of people to Mars.
On September 25, 2016, the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) in China was officially put into operation.
On October 1, 2017 (Earth Era), Country C launched Lunar Orbiter 10 to conduct on-site investigation and sample analysis of the lunar landing site. Subsequently, researchers from Country C analyzed and studied the lunar samples.
On July 27, 2018, NASA and SpaceX collaborated to send the Dragon spacecraft to Mars.
On September 5, 2020, Country C completed the world's largest particle collider.
On October 6, 2020, Country C launched Lunar Orbiter 10, which brought back a large amount of lunar samples.
On April 6, 2021, Earth Era, humanity set foot on Martian soil for the first time, with one person each from Country M, Country C, and Country R.
June 12, 2022 AD, a research institute in a city in Country C.
Mei Fan took the particle collision report from his assistant and studied it carefully for half an hour, only to be overwhelmed with disappointment once again. After nearly 10 months of electron-positron collision experiments, the Higgs boson, the legendary "God particle," still hadn't been found. He sat dejectedly in his office, drank a cup of black tea—his heart had been ailing from years of hard work, and his doctor had advised him to drink black tea and avoid overexertion. Mei Fan couldn't help but smile bitterly. Would the world really end? We hadn't even found a trace of the "God particle"! In 2015, Stephen Hawking coldly declared that the search for the Higgs boson could end the world within 10 to 100 years. In September 2016, Nobel laureate in physics Yang Zhenning also strongly opposed the construction of this super-large particle collider. Even among the general public, opinions were divided on whether the collider was necessary. Opponents argued it was a waste of money, suggesting it would be better to invest in improving people's lives; proponents believed particle physics was the key to revealing the origin of matter and the secrets of the universe. Mei Fan, along with many particle physicists and scientists in China, including more than 20 academicians, jointly wrote a letter emphasizing the importance of building a super-large particle collider. Finally, at the end of 2016, the project for the world's largest particle collider, costing a considerable sum, was approved. The collider, completed in 2020, boasts a 100-kilometer-long circular tunnel and 7-8 times the energy of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). If significant results are obtained, the government will continue to fund its construction. However, the anticipated "God particle" has not yet been discovered. Should they continue to seek government funding for the construction of an even higher-energy collider? Mei Fan feels like a greedy child. Or should they abandon the search for the "God particle"?
"Dad, you're back?" Mei Fang, the daughter, greeted him.
"Ok".
"Did it fail again?"
"Ok".
"Dad, I have some news for you," Mei Fang said mysteriously, "Our lunar research institute has discovered extraterrestrial life on the moon!"
"Really?" Mei Fan perked up immediately.
"Yes, that alien life form had three eyes, was male, and was about 76 years old."
"No way?" Mei Fan thought this was truly explosive news, and she was somewhat skeptical.
"Wait, daughter, you said it has three eyes, is male, and is 76 years old?"
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
"Oh God!" Mei Fan exclaimed. He quickly ran into his study, turned on the computer, and immediately started typing and searching. Mei Fang, not knowing what was wrong with her father, followed him in. To her surprise, the computer screen displayed the name "Gendaya Civilization"!
"Daughter, have you found anything else?"
"Based on our analysis of lunar rocks and soil, as well as our analysis of lunar helium-3, we believe that a full-scale nuclear war appears to have occurred on the moon!"
"Really? Why?"
“Through isotope analysis, a certain soil layer of the lunar sample contained a large amount of residual radiation, which was determined to be about 5.96 million years ago,” Mei Fang paused, “but strangely, the analysis of lunar impact shock waves showed that the moon is hollow.”
"My God, is that really true? The moon is an artificial celestial body?"
"Dad, I won't say any more."
Okay, let's eat.
That night, Mei Fan couldn't sleep a wink. The three-eyed man, all-out nuclear war, the moon as a spaceship? Wait, "I think I've found something! Helium-3!" Mei Fan exclaimed excitedly, jumping out of bed.
The next day at work, Mei Fan wrote an email to the most renowned particle physicist in China, explaining his concept and creation of the "God particle" in considerable detail. Of course, he didn't reveal the information his daughter had shared the previous night. Mei Fan anxiously awaited a reply.
A week later, Mei Fan received a call from the institute's office, asking him to attend a meeting at a certain bureau.
That morning, Mei Fan arrived at the bureau early. A large number of soldiers were stationed at the entrance, including along the nearby street. Seeing this, Mei Fan knew that this meeting was no ordinary event. After passing through strict security checks, a handsome and upright soldier led him to an elevator in a basement conference room. Perhaps because he had arrived too early, there were only three or four people in the conference room. Mei Fan immediately recognized Academician Wang Zhongli, the most famous particle physicist in China. He was largely responsible for the approval of the collider project.
Good morning, Academician Wang.
"Director Mei, hello there."
Did you receive the email I sent you a week ago?
“I received it. I have carefully studied the method for creating the Higgs boson that you mentioned in your letter, and I think it is feasible. Then I reported it to the leaders of the Academy of Sciences and the director,” Academician Wang paused, “Director Mei, you know that once we implement the plan to create the ‘God particle,’ you should also know some serious consequences.”
"I understand, so I am being very careful and hope you can help us by providing an assessment and guidance."
"No need to be polite, it's my duty. Oh, by the way, I only found out last night that many chief experts and academicians will be participating in this secret meeting today, such as Researcher Li Li from the Lunar Institute, Academician Zhou Yuan from the Institute of Physics, Researcher Pan Hao from the Institute of Geology, Academician Shi Dao, Director of the Center for Life Sciences Research, Researcher Zhang Jie from the Institute of History and Natural Science, Researcher He Mengyuan from the Institute of Paleontology, Researcher Li Defang from the National Astronomical Observatories, and so on. Also, there are even military personnel here!"
Mei Fan grew increasingly alarmed as he listened, but being a smart man, he pieced together the information his daughter had revealed a few nights earlier, and he began to understand. Mei Fan had a vague feeling that this secret meeting would definitely influence the world order and the future of humanity.
As the conversation continued, more and more people arrived. Academician Wang stepped aside to greet acquaintances, while Mei Fan found her seat according to her nameplate and watched the newcomers. Because the meeting was approaching, everyone remained silent, the atmosphere somewhat somber. Those who entered sat down according to their nameplates, with the senior scientists habitually sitting at the front. Finally, Director Zhang, seven generals, three lieutenant generals, and over twenty entourages accompanied a man in a Zhongshan suit into the meeting hall. The attending scientists were astonished—wasn't this the high-ranking official? A collective tension gripped them.
Director Zhang stepped onto the podium. "Respected leaders, generals, and experts, good morning. Experts, you should be able to guess the importance of this meeting. Please follow our usual practice and keep it confidential. First, please take a look at the printed materials. You have half an hour to read them. Then, I will invite the leaders to speak, followed by the experts' comments and discussions."
The staff distributed the materials to each expert's desk, and Mei Fan noticed the word "Top Secret" in the upper right corner of the materials.
(P.S.: Readers probably think it's impossible for the daughter to tell Mei Fan such top-secret information, so let's ignore this.)