Chapter 381: The Enemy by the Couch_1
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For the Science Academy of the Solar System State, the technology of Hubble II was too outdated, and the photos it took were unsatisfactory.
Considering that Hubble II had been sitting there unused for over a year, it seemed better to return it to PDC and earn some goodwill.
Doctor Weiss, with a livid face, led a group of students to take over Hubble II.
Although the officials of PDC were extremely grateful to the Academy of the Solar System State, Doctor Weiss couldn't feel a shred of gratitude; after all, it was originally PDC's property that they hadn't been able to secure!
Doctor Weiss used to be in charge of Hubble II, but the experienced operators had long since gone their separate ways.
Some were lucky to go to the Solar System State, some to Mars, some to the Moon.
With no other choice, Weiss had to lead a group of students to take over Hubble II.
After the handover ceremony concluded, Weiss couldn't wait to have the students each take their positions, as he wanted to gaze upon the vast universe once again.
After all preparations were complete, Weiss issued the order, "Begin focusing!"
The main screen in the control room lit up, and Weiss only caught a glimpse of the blurry shadows on the screen before exploding in anger, "I told you to target the Kuiper Belt, why are you aiming at the Sun?
"Have your heads been screwed on backwards? The direction is completely reversed!"
A room full of students broke out in a cold sweat, hurrying to adjust the orientation.
Suddenly, some students asked, "What is that?"
Weiss glanced at the screen and was also stunned, "Don't adjust the angle just yet."
There, in the direction of the Sun, were ten neatly aligned black hollow dots.
A female student speculated, "Could it be Space City?"
Weiss shook his head, "Space City wouldn't be arranged in such a straight line."
A male student asked, "Should we take a photo for a detailed analysis?"
Weiss was slightly irate, "Was everything I've taught you before in vain? What good will it do to take a photo against the light?
"First calculate the optimal shooting angle! Then wait for the right moment to capture it!"
The students, following Weiss's instructions, frantically calculated and adjusted the settings.
Twenty minutes later, Hubble II, in a low Earth orbit, found the optimal position and took several photos in rapid succession at the right moment.
This time, the sunlight did not obstruct the view but instead served as an aid.
The photos clearly showed ten silver-white rings, like ten eyes watching over Earth, imparting an intensely solemn atmosphere to the whole scene.
A student immediately thought, "The Magic Ring! It's a four-dimensional Magic Ring!"
Weiss was somewhat exasperated, "If Hubble II could capture four-dimensional objects, the Solar System State wouldn't have returned it to us."
Another male student asked, "Then what are these?"
Weiss pondered for a moment before analyzing, "If we can capture some details, they must not be too far from Earth."
He then started to assign tasks, "Using the angle of reflection and the magnification factor, calculate their triangular distance from the Sun and Earth.
"Then, with that distance, determine their diameter."
The calculations came back quickly, and just as Weiss had expected, the ten rings were about two million kilometers away from Earth, which wasn't considered very far in space terms.
Based on that distance, the diameter of the rings was calculated to be about the size of a Space City.
The male student who had asked earlier guessed, "Could these perhaps be the technological products of another civilization that we've just happened to observe?"
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Doctor Weiss was amused to the point of laughter, "I've heard about the new radar of the Solar System State, which can detect spacecraft within one thousand five hundred astronomical units, not one thousand five hundred kilometers!"
He sighed, "It's not our concern anymore, just hand the photo over to the PDC, surely this must be something from the Solar System State."
That very night, the intelligence department of the PDC recognized it as the Solar System State's major weapon: the Monster Cannon!
The Solar System State had always been reinforcing Earth, a fact well-known to the PDC.
The PDC was now like a pig unafraid of being scalded by boiling water; let them come, for even if they couldn't overcome the First Legion of the Solar System State, what difference would two more legions make? They would still be unbeatable.
However, when the Solar System United Military began to deploy the Monster Cannon within the inner regions of the Solar System, the PDC started to get anxious.
According to the intelligence provided by Sophon, the effective range of the Monster Cannon was a staggering sixty-two astronomical units! Each firing would consume the energy accumulation of a Space City for two years!
What was most terrifying was that its firing could cause irreparable damage to a planet!
If it inadvertently hit the Sun, although it would not cause much harm to the Sun itself, it could trigger severe reactions from the Sun, plunging the inner planets into great disaster.
The next day, the intelligence department of the PDC confirmed through various other channels that there were ten Monster Cannons!
Just as the relevant departments of the PDC were preparing to issue a protest, demanding that the Solar System State withdraw the Monster Cannons, Rotating Chairman Cheng Ping asked everyone, "Whom is the Solar System State deterring with such a weapon?"
Many were taken aback; indeed, did the Solar System State need to use such a powerful weapon if they wanted to exterminate the PDC and Fleet International?
The Solar System State had always treated the PDC and Fleet International as burdens, and it was this view that gave these political bodies a chance to cling to survival until now.
Cheng Ping pondered for a moment before saying, "Let's not take any action for the moment."
After he spoke, he hurriedly left the meeting room, and everyone knew that he was going to contact Logic.
Half an hour later, Cheng Ping returned with a serious look on his face, "I have just received accurate information from the Wallfacer, Jiang Yu; deploying the Monster Cannons in Earth's orbit isn't aimed at us."
Everyone immediately asked, "Then what power is it aimed against?"
"Sophon?"
"Some black technology from the Trisolarans?"
"Fleet International?"
Cheng Ping waved his hand to quiet everyone down before he spoke, "Venus!"
Every mouth in the meeting room dropped open into an "O" shape!
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In the past three years, Jiang Yu had stayed on Earth, all in preparation for the moment when the forces of the Earth Civilization Circle were sufficient to eliminate or curb the threat of Venus.
Especially after the end of the "Second Battle", the axial rotation of Venus had changed from retrograde to prograde, making Jiang Yu even more alert.
Thus, Jiang Yu instructed the Eighth Corps, which was the first to support Earth, to merge with the First Legion under the command of Zhuang Yue.
He also summoned the Second Legion, commanded by Wu Xinghai, as well as the Sixth Legion, which was originally planned to be stationed in the Kuiper Belt.
Since the Trisolarans, the external threat, had moved far from the Solar System, it was time to address the internal woes.
However, Jiang Yu ordered only ten Monster Cannons, aware that they couldn't be effectively deployed within the Solar System.
Every firing required endless calculations; not only was the Sun within range, but all other nine planets as well.
Now that every planet in the Solar System State had its province, they naturally couldn't damage any of them, and they had to avoid the shipping lanes of spacecraft, so having more was useless; they essentially dared not to fire rashly.
Originally, Jiang Yu planned to be more cautious, waiting to send Earth and the Moon away before provoking Venus, but the anomalies of Venus were becoming increasingly frequent, first changing to prograde rotation, then edging several million kilometers closer to the Sun.
Jiang Yu considered it best to strike first.