Interstellar Longevity: Living Long Enough to Dominate the Universe

Year 2037.

Yan Xia gazed through the glass at the scene behind the spaceship. On the surface of a planet, deep fissures appeared, and endless lava flowed along the cracks in the crust, engulfing oceans and land. The water evaporated due to the high temperature, forming a massive cloud of vapor enveloping the planet's surface.

Then, a burst of light erupted from within the planet, and in the silent depths of space, the entire planet began to shatter, fragile as a glass sphere.

Yan Xia's heart grew heavy, and tears welled up in his eyes.

The planet being destroyed was his home, and the home of all humanity—Earth.

One hour ago.

The place where humanity thrived was directly hit by an intense gamma-ray burst from a supernova explosion.

Under the impact of this immense energy, Earth's atmosphere was instantly destroyed, and countless lives perished in agony. The gamma-ray burst altered the magnetic fields of all the planets in the solar system, including the sun.

The entire solar system fell into chaos. Earth's orbit shifted, and it was pulled towards the sun, torn apart by the immense gravitational force.

Today was April 27th.

It was a grand fireworks display, seemingly announcing the end of humanity.

Yan Xia struggled to catch his breath.

He was not part of the elite of humanity, nor was he a scientific genius; he was just a corporate slave at a new AI company.

His AI company had collaborated with a renowned rocket company on Earth to design a giant liquid-fuel rocket with a carrying capacity of over 420 tons, pushing the limits of physics.

Just before this, he had been performing the final AI calibration for the rocket.

This rocket was equipped with the most advanced AI system from their company, capable of computational speeds approaching the lowest-end quantum computers.

As the core engineer, he had to ensure the stability of the computer software.

And at that very moment, the end of the world arrived.

There were no signs or warnings, as human observation technology had not yet surpassed the speed of light.

The gamma-ray burst was like a flash of light!

When the gamma-ray burst struck Earth, all electronic devices malfunctioned, and the rocket's ignition was triggered by an error, launching Yan Xia, who was still inside, into space, saving him from the catastrophe.

"Then, am I the only human left alive?"

In the cramped cabin, Yan Xia breathed heavily.

He had not undergone any professional training, and the acceleration of the rocket had taken a toll on his body.

The entire cabin lit up, indicating that they had safely weathered the gamma-ray burst.

"I hope the electronic instruments are still functional."

When the gamma-ray burst hit, Yan Xia had immediately shut down the power, unsure if any parts could be salvaged.

He pressed a red start button.

Everything lit up, including the core display, which relieved him.

He looked at the navigation display and saw that the destination was Mars.

This spaceship was originally designed for manned missions to Mars.

"Hi, Ella."

A voice responded in the quiet cabin.

"How may I assist you?"

The fact that the AI was still operational lifted Yan Xia's spirits.

Ella, the most advanced artificial intelligence in the world, possessed immense computational power and an extensive information database, akin to an encyclopedia.

"Calculate the probability of anyone else surviving on Earth."

Yan Xia still held a glimmer of hope that he was not alone.

"Unfortunately, Ella's calculations show that the probability of any life surviving on Earth, other than yourself, is 0.0000000000272%."

"Moreover, even if there are survivors, you do not have the means to rescue them."

The cold, emotionless voice made Yan Xia feel even worse.

"What about the space station?"

There should still be astronauts in the space station orbiting close to Earth.

"Ella is sending signals..."

"No response!"

"No satellites were detected around the shattered Earth."

"It is predicted that the gamma-ray burst caused electronic failures, causing all satellites and space stations near Earth to crash into the planet's surface."

There was no hope.

Yan Xia was the only survivor.

Yan Xia was stunned for a long time, his mind filled with memories of his friends and family back on Earth, his eyes gradually losing their sparkle.

Over an hour later.

He licked his dry lips and said weakly, "Ella, analyze the possibility of Mars being habitable."

He had nowhere else to go.

Mars, the ideal colony of humanity, might become his new home.

However, Ella's merciless reply shattered his hopes.

"According to data analysis, the moon will collide with Earth in 28 years, causing further fragmentation and accelerating its fall towards the sun."

"When Earth shatters and falls onto the sun's surface, it will trigger an intense solar storm."

"This solar storm will engulf the entire heliosphere of the solar system. The solar flare and the resulting magnetic storm will once again wreak havoc on electronic equipment."

"During the solar storm, the surface temperature of Mars will rise above 500 degrees Celsius in a short time. The chaotic magnetic field and gravitational system may pull Mars towards the sun, repeating Earth's fate."

"The solar system will undergo an unprecedented reshuffle."

Ella was equipped with the most advanced and comprehensive human knowledge, and her analysis had even been applied in military fields.

Yan Xia had to consider a new plan.

He couldn't stay in the solar system.

So, he turned his attention to the stars beyond.

Proxima Centauri?

"Generate a route to Proxima Centauri."

Proxima Centauri b, known as Earth's twin, might be a habitable planet.

"Route generated."

"Current speed is 20.3 km/s, distance is 4.22 light-years, and the estimated time of arrival at Proxima Centauri is 62,365 years."

Over sixty thousand years?

Yan Xia was taken aback.

He thought Proxima Centauri was the closest star system to their solar system, but he never imagined it would take so long to get there.

The original speed of the spaceship was supposed to be 13 km/s, but the shockwave from Earth's rupture had increased its speed, yet it was still too slow for the vast universe.

By the time he arrived, he might not even have his ashes left.

"Plan an optimal route to reduce the travel time."

This was too complex for a human mind to calculate, so he turned to the AI.

"By utilizing gravitational acceleration near Jupiter and Neptune, the speed can be increased to 35.4 km/s, reducing the estimated travel time to 35,764 years."

It seemed like humanity had taken about ten thousand years to evolve from the Neolithic Age to the present.

Yan Xia felt that his survival might be in vain, and he could only wait for death.

At this moment, Ella continued, "Given the limited lifespan of humans, it is recommended to use the asteroid belt to modify the spaceship when it arrives."

Yan Xia asked, "Do you have a plan?"

"Ella is generating the plan... Plan generation complete."