Chapter 94: A Happy and Busy Life

There were still many details to iron out regarding the laser ignition system, and Jason and Professor Hao Yu were studying the problem with great interest.

“Our plan is to fire an ultra-powerful laser pulse into the Tetrahydrogen Nuclear Bomb,” Professor Hao Yu explained. “Inside the warhead, a specialized prism will split this single pulse into over a hundred slightly weaker, but still incredibly intense, laser beams.”

These hundred-plus beams, each carrying immense energy, would simultaneously strike tiny hydrogen spheres, each just one millimeter in diameter. In an instant, these spheres would be superheated to over one hundred million degrees Celsius. This would cause them to explode, simultaneously detonating the entire outer ring of standard nuclear bombs.

Then, the explosion of that outer ring would crush inward, detonating the innermost hydrogen core!

“And just like that, the Tetrahydrogen Nuclear Bomb goes off with a spectacular bang!” Professor Hao Yu said, his eyes shining as he imagined the theoretical blast. The concept was brilliant, ingenious, and most importantly, technologically achievable!

Light travels at an incredible speed of nearly 300 million meters per second. Because of this, the time difference between the ignition of the various outer bombs would be a few nanoseconds at most. For all practical purposes, they would detonate simultaneously.

“To pull this off, our laser pulse needs to be more than ten times stronger than what the United States managed to produce! But we should be able to do it…” Professor Hao Yu looked at Jason expectantly.

Jason frowned deeply. He was already running the numbers in his head, calculating the staggering costs.

Building a laser system more powerful than those of the past wasn’t the issue; he was completely confident in their ability to do so. With the Federation’s current industrial capacity aboard the Noah and their army of brilliant scientists, constructing an ultra-powerful laser was practically guaranteed.

But… wouldn’t it be far too expensive to pair such a massive system with a single nuclear weapon? With their current technology, miniaturization was impossible. The laser system required would be the size of several small buildings.

Did a Tetrahydrogen Nuclear Bomb really need a building-sized ignition system? After all, the moment the bomb exploded, that massive, incredibly expensive laser would be instantly vaporized.

The National Ignition Facility in the United States had cost 3.5 billion dollars to build. Were they really going to turn something like that into a disposable, single-use trigger?

That kind of resource burn is just too high… Jason thought to himself, feeling a pang of financial heartache. Pairing one giant laser system with every single nuclear bomb was too heavy a burden to bear, even with the Federation’s wealth and abundant resources!

He sighed deeply. It was a serious roadblock. While the Noah had a robust industrial sector, they couldn’t afford to be so wasteful as to strap a hundred-ton laser device to a single warhead.

Professor Hao Yu had clearly considered this issue as well. He quickly added, “If we were fighting in the vacuum of space, it wouldn’t be a problem. We could launch the warhead first, get it to a safe distance, and then fire the laser pulse from our ship to ignite it remotely.”

A nuclear blast of that magnitude required a minimum safe distance of several hundred, if not thousands, of kilometers. However, Jason knew that this was easier said than done. Firing a laser from thousands of kilometers away to perfectly strike a tiny receiver on a moving missile required near-impossible accuracy. Whether humanity could actually achieve that level of precision remained to be seen.

“Plus, remote ignition won’t work on planets with atmospheres. Lasers weaken rapidly in the air, and the beams get refracted and scattered… We really do need to attach a laser device to each individual bomb,” Professor Hao Yu admitted, sounding slightly dejected as the reality of the costs sank in.

“Unless, of course, our laser technology experiences a massive breakthrough that allows for extreme miniaturization…”

Hearing this, Jason shook his head. “Don’t worry about that right now. Let’s just focus on building the large-scale laser system first. We can figure out the deployment logistics later.” After all, having an ultra-powerful laser would be incredibly useful regardless of the bomb project.

And so, the Noah took on another massive project: the research and construction of an ultra-powerful laser facility.

For the citizens of the Federation, monumental engineering feats had become a daily occurrence. It barely warranted a headline in the morning news. Building something that had already existed back on Earth didn’t drum up much excitement, it just meant that a large number of available researchers were assigned to new, high-level jobs.

In the days that followed, the rapid expansion of intelligent automation brought constant, visible improvements to life aboard the Noah.

Manual labor had been almost entirely phased out, leaving the majority of the population to engage in intellectual and creative work.

Mining, smelting, and heavy manufacturing were completely automated. Even everyday chores like sweeping, cleaning, and cooking were now handled by specialized utility robots, freeing up humans to pursue more complex careers. Every day, the citizens marveled at the positive changes around them.

As a result, a massive number of jobs opened up in research, engineering design, and advanced system maintenance. This required a highly educated populace. Fortunately, the survivors aboard the Noah were the best and brightest of humanity; they possessed a strong drive to learn and a deep desire to improve themselves.

In their free time, many people flocked to the digital libraries and learning centers to expand their skill sets.

In a bustling cafeteria in one of the residential sectors, Leo, one of the Federation’s top engineers, was wolfing down his lunch. He had ordered a plate of grilled chicken with a side of quinoa, roasted asparagus, and a bowl of hot broth.

The meal was delicious, perfectly balanced, and only cost 5 Federation Credits. Because it was prepared by automated culinary robots, the food was both highly affordable and consistently excellent.

The overall cost of living aboard the Noah was steadily dropping. This meant the purchasing power of the Federation Credit was rising, allowing everyone to enjoy a very comfortable standard of living.

As Leo ate, his mind was entirely focused on the new laser system. There were still several critical engineering hurdles to overcome, and given his exceptional technical skills, he was naturally put in charge of constructing the ultra-high-precision components.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” This classic old-world quote had become a popular motto aboard the Noah after many prominent scientists stepped up during the Martian viral outbreak.

The consensus was clear: if those with talent refused to contribute, humanity would eventually fade away in the dark, unforgiving depths of space. Because of this shared purpose, more and more people were eager to step forward and use their skills to push the Federation forward.

Sitting across from Leo was Wendy, his wife who is now pregnant.

Wendy’s stomach had a noticeable bump; she was nearly five months pregnant. She watched Leo inhale his food with a fond, warm smile. The longer they were together, the more she loved him.

It wasn’t until much later that Leo finally looked up, let out a satisfied sigh, and blinked as if coming out of a trance. He had just mentally solved a major design flaw, and he felt incredibly relieved.

“Leo,” Wendy said, deciding to playfully tease him. “I’m five months pregnant now. According to the new labor laws, I’ve been placed on mandatory maternity leave. I guess I’ll just have to rely entirely on you to support me from now on…” She batted her eyelashes, trying to act helpless and cute.

But Leo, still half-lost in his engineering thoughts, completely missed the social cue. He furrowed his brow in genuine confusion. “Wait, doesn’t the Federation provide an extensive, free supply stipend for pregnant women? Why would you need my salary to support you?”

Wendy almost groaned in frustration. That wasn’t the point at all! She was just trying to be romantic. Her husband’s brain operated on a completely different wavelength; his emotional intelligence was practically zero.

She often wondered how she had ended up falling for such an oblivious man. Sighing in mock irritation, she said, “Leo, I’m craving strawberries! And real strawberries aren’t covered by the free stipend, they’re expensive right now!”

“Oh! Okay, I’ll go buy some right now!” The moment Leo realized his pregnant wife wanted a specific food, he practically leaped out of his chair and sprinted toward the cafeteria exit, moving with his usual frantic, urgent pace.

Wendy couldn’t help but laugh at his abrupt exit, all her mild frustration melting away instantly. He might have been dense when it came to romance, but he treated her incredibly well.

“Don’t grow up to be as socially oblivious as your father,” she whispered half-jokingly, rubbing her belly. “You’ll never find a date.”

As if responding to her voice, the baby suddenly kicked against her hand.

Wendy smiled softly, a wave of affection washing over her. Even if she hadn’t married Leo, plenty of other women would have lined up for the chance. After all, he was a brilliant, highly respected chief engineer.

He might lack traditional romantic tact, but he was a genuinely good man. He was dedicated to his work, but equally dedicated to his family. Since she had gotten pregnant, no matter how grueling his shifts were, he always made time to sit with her every single day.

She knew he was currently managing the construction of the massive laser ignition system, a project vital to the Federation’s survival. The fact that he still prioritized her was more romantic than any smooth-talking charm.

That was the difference between infatuation and real love; she knew how to appreciate his quiet dedication. What she found most attractive about Leo was his aura of maturity, the heavy, silent responsibility he carried on his shoulders to keep their civilization safe.

“Things are different now,” Wendy murmured softly to her stomach. “This is an era built on intelligence and perseverance. That’s what really matters.”

She patted her belly gently. “I hope you grow up to be just as brilliant as him.”

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