Chapter Three: Industrialization Lacks Soul

According to Nan Yi's database, the Stargate numbered SH100079 leads to an energy-harvesting star. Even after ten thousand years, regardless of what unforeseen events occurred, there should still be enough energy stored there to initiate the basic medical industry. But then the question arises: where will the energy to activate the Stargate come from?

Stargates built with space jump technology are completely different from teleportation gates made with space folding technology. A teleportation gate can be used indefinitely once its space folding is completed during manufacturing, requiring no energy to operate. However, the space jump of a Stargate necessitates a constant energy supply to maintain the jump passage.

Why not use space folding technology to create a teleportation gate between two planets? The technical difficulty is simply too high. Connecting two locations on the same planet with space folding is like folding a piece of paper, while connecting two locations on different planets is akin to folding a landmass. Therefore, Fang Xu has not found a teleportation gate to Mars, Mercury, or even the Moon during his time on Earth; the manufacturing difficulty is just not cost-effective.

In contrast, space jump technology offers much better cost-effectiveness for long distances of several hundred to thousands of light-years. Thus, to gather enough energy to activate a Stargate, Fang Xu embarks on a journey across Earth, searching for resources.

In a breeding farm on the outskirts of New York, this place once produced the finest meat on Earth and throughout the solar system. In that era a thousand years ago, synthetic meat could already replicate the taste of top-grade beef. However, some people still preferred the old-fashioned method of raising cattle, just as some in the twenty-first century believed handmade was inherently better than industrialized processes, which they felt lacked soul.

Moreover, since Earth became a protected zone, efforts were made to preserve its original landscape. North America, having undergone deindustrialization since the twenty-first century, has remained a traditional agricultural area, which is why this farm producing the solar system's finest beef is so vast and still stores a significant amount of energy. Even after millennia, there are still traces of it left.

With the operation of several artificial intelligences, a small workshop with just a few cattle was maintained. Until Fang Xu arrived, under his authority, the AI effortlessly relinquished the remaining energy in the factory, choosing to enter indefinite hibernation.

So, on the vast grassland, Fang Xu looked at the leisurely grazing cattle, momentarily lost in thought. “Sir, how shall we handle these cattle?” Nan Yi asked, pushing the wheelchair.

“Let’s eat them. I want to taste the difference between this premium beef and synthetic meat,” Fang Xu decided, not wanting to waste the cattle. Any leftovers could be frozen for later.

Soon, several six-legged robots that had been following Fang Xu approached, expertly processing the cattle. After a while, two plates of delicious steaks were placed before Fang Xu on a newly set table. One steak was made from the freshly butchered cattle, while the other was synthetic.

After cutting a piece from each and tasting them, Fang Xu's expression shifted from delight to confusion. “Is it just me, or do they taste quite similar? The synthetic meat even seems juicier.”

“Sir, according to authoritative testing data, this is indeed the case,” Nan Yi replied.

“Then why continue raising cattle?”

“Because synthetic meat lacks soul, sir.”

Fang Xu was at a loss for words. The notion that industrialization lacked soul had found its way here as well—what a joke.

“Speaking of which, since the breeding farm can maintain a small workshop with a few cattle, and a synthetic meat factory can also operate on a small scale, why does the medical industry require the complete reactivation of the entire industrial chain? Can’t we just start a small factory to produce some medicine first?” Fang Xu sighed.

“Maintaining a small workshop in agriculture doesn't require extensive supporting industries, as long as there’s enough feed, which can be cultivated simply. A synthetic meat factory only needs energy and protein for small-scale production. However, the raw materials for medicines cannot be obtained easily; each type of raw material requires a large number of supporting factories for production. Therefore, only by reactivating the entire medical industrial chain can we obtain raw materials and medications,” Nan Yi explained.

“What about these robots? Don’t they require supporting industrial chains?” Fang Xu looked at the operating six-legged machines.

“They can perform simple repairs through interchangeable parts, but without restarting the relevant industrial chains, there will likely never be new robots made in the future.”

“Energy, always energy,” Fang Xu sighed. At the equator of the Pacific Ocean, the man-made sea land, designated as Area Xiangrang No. 13, housed one of the twelve large cargo space elevators, connecting to the star ring in the sky.

In the era before the star ring entered hibernation, this place was bustling with the transport of various goods. Sitting in his wheelchair, Fang Xu was pushed by Nan Yi across the teleportation gate to this site, now starkly empty, and he could already imagine the former splendor.

“Taking all the backup energy from the space elevator, won't that cause it to collapse?” Fang Xu looked up at the mountain-like cargo space elevator, a bit hesitant.

“The elevator's anchoring structure is secured in space; even without energy maintenance, it won't collapse,” Nan Yi replied.

“Oh, I see. But without energy, the space elevator won't operate at all, right? I wanted to ride it up to the star ring to have a look.” Fang Xu felt a pang of nostalgia.

“The remaining energy is insufficient to activate the space elevator. Moreover, the priority is to ensure your safety; you only have ninety-six days left,” Nan Yi stated.

“I understand, but it’s a pity the teleportation gate can’t lead to the interior of the star ring,” Fang Xu lamented.

One day, when the star ring's various areas awaken from hibernation, he could go. “So, energy is still the issue,” Fang Xu chuckled bitterly.

There are indeed teleportation gates leading to the star ring, but with all areas of the star ring entering hibernation, the internal spaces were also sealed off. Thus, the previously functional teleportation gates leading to the interior of the star ring were rendered inoperable. Unless the star ring gained enough energy to awaken from hibernation, this was a security measure against intrusion.

In the end, this very measure had trapped Fang Xu. He truly wanted to visit the star ring. So, Fang Xu emptied all the remaining backup energy from the twelve large cargo space elevators and also drained the last reserves from countless factories and enterprises. After much effort, he finally managed to gather enough energy to activate Stargate SH100079.

Now, he could only wonder what awaited him on the other side of the Stargate.