The third-generation controllable nuclear fusion device sets off

Yan Xia took a stroll inside the Hope spacecraft but didn't explore every place. It mainly focused on his own living area. Ella had prepared it luxuriously. There was a huge 20-square-meter bedroom, a home theater with a gigantic 1000-inch movie screen, a kitchen, a game room, a study, a gym, and, of course, an essential feature—a toilet. It was a very rich living area. Additionally, there was a "Street" replica, designed to resemble Earth, with a simulated sky and ground, but devoid of any people. In total, it covered an area of 31,371 square meters.

Holding a tablet in his hand, Yan Xia was watching a video that depicted scenes of Earth. After 100 years, Earth had been completely shattered. If there was once a one-in-a-billion chance of human survival, it was now nonexistent. It had been destroyed by the impact of the Moon, which itself had been fragmented into a long chain. The video only showed tiny fragments, but each piece could have represented a city or a country, inhabited by millions of humans. And now, inside each of those fragments, there were likely the remains of millions of humans. Yan Xia couldn't help but feel melancholic.

Ella appeared on a screen in front of him and reminded him, "Yan Xia, we will embark within six months. The fragments of Earth and the Moon are about to reach the surface of the Sun, causing a major change in the solar system. If we are still in the asteroid belt then, we will be ruthlessly destroyed." After 100 years, it was time for Earth to be embraced by the Sun.

Upon hearing this, Yan Xia became determined. "Take me to see the third-generation controlled nuclear fusion device," he said. Ella led Yan Xia outside, and of course, they had to wear spacesuits. However, compared to 100 years ago, the spacesuit Ella had specially made for Yan Xia was now black, with only a thin layer adhering to his skin. Although it still had a large bulbous helmet, it was much lighter and more convenient than its predecessor.

Leaving the spacecraft and stepping onto the steel frame, Yan Xia realized the enormity of the exterior scene he had just witnessed. The platform on which he stood alone was over 200 meters wide and over 5,000 meters long. Standing there, he felt as small as an ant on an A4 paper, or perhaps even smaller. When he looked back at the Hope spacecraft, he was even more astonished. The black hull appeared incredibly profound against the dark background, with a subtle metallic reflection adding a touch of coldness. It resembled a giant beast quietly crouching, waiting to awaken.

Before long, a burgundy streamlined magnetic supercar stopped in front of him. Its appearance resembled a Bugatti. Since it was in space and not subject to gravity constraints, it appeared quite large, measuring six meters in length and over three meters in width. Yan Xia found the interior of the car spacious as he sat inside. As soon as the door closed, the supercar accelerated to 300 kilometers per hour within a second. The five kilometers of the platform took just a minute. Then, after two minutes, they arrived on the surface of an asteroid outside a massive factory, which stood 180 meters tall and occupied over a million square meters. The factory was labeled A-283, indicating its high engineering importance level, with A being the highest and F being the lowest.

Yan Xia entered the factory and was immediately greeted by a colossal device. It stood over 70 meters tall and had a diameter exceeding 200 meters. The most striking feature was the transparent ring-shaped apparatus with flickering currents visible inside its hollow core. Each current was as thick as Yan Xia's arm. "Electromagnetic confinement?" Yan Xia wondered. The controlled nuclear fusion device itself required intense magnetic confinement, but these currents exceeded his understanding due to their extraordinary strength. Just the size of the apparatus was enough to demonstrate its terrifying capabilities.

"Yan Xia, the third-generation controlled nuclear fusion device is now in the final testing phase. Please have a look," Ella pointed towards it. A deafening roar ensued, as if a giant fan had been turned on at full blast, filling the air with noise. Although they were in space, there was sound because Yan Xia was standing on the ground, and sound can propagate through solids. Yan Xia jumped off the ground, and the sound disappeared completely. When he looked back at the controlled nuclear fusion device, the entire ring-shaped container had become a blinding light, making it nearly impossible to look at directly.

Essentially, it was a Tokamak device, often referred to as a "little sun." The nuclei of deuterium and tritium, heavy isotopes of hydrogen, were undergoing fusion inside, releasing tremendous energy. This energy was collected as heat and then converted into kinetic energy. It was still essentially boiling water. This device represented one of humanity's greatest achievements in harnessing the power of nuclear fusion.

Yan Xia stood there, awestruck by the sight before him. The controlled nuclear fusion device was a testament to human ingenuity and technological advancement. It was the culmination of years of research and development, and it held the promise of providing clean, abundant, and virtually limitless energy for humanity's future.

As he observed the device, Yan Xia couldn't help but think about the implications it held for the survival of the human race. With Earth's destruction and the uncertain future of human existence, the controlled nuclear fusion device represented a glimmer of hope. It could potentially power future spacecraft, colonies on other planets, or even provide energy for terraforming efforts.

After spending some time observing the device and discussing its progress with the engineers working on it, Yan Xia felt a renewed sense of determination. He realized that his mission aboard the Hope spacecraft was not just about personal survival but also about the preservation and advancement of humanity.

Leaving the factory, Yan Xia returned to the supercar and made his way back to the Hope spacecraft. As he sat inside the vehicle, racing across the platform towards the spacecraft, he contemplated the enormity of the task ahead. The survival of humanity depended on the success of the mission, and he had a vital role to play.

Once back inside the spacecraft, Yan Xia shared his observations and experiences with Ella. They discussed the potential applications of the controlled nuclear fusion device and how it could shape the future of humanity. They also discussed the challenges that lay ahead and the importance of collaboration and cooperation among the crew members.

With the knowledge that humanity's survival was at stake, Yan Xia and Ella dedicated themselves to preparing for the journey. They reviewed mission protocols, trained in various skills, and ensured that all systems on board the spacecraft were functioning optimally. Every decision and action they took were driven by the desire to secure a future for humanity.

In the months that followed, as the fragments of Earth and the Moon approached the Sun, the crew of the Hope spacecraft worked tirelessly to finalize their preparations. They were driven by a shared purpose, a collective determination to overcome the odds and ensure the survival of the human race.

And so, with the third-generation controlled nuclear fusion device as a symbol of humanity's resilience and hope, the crew of the Hope spacecraft set off on their journey into the unknown, carrying with them the dreams and aspirations of a shattered world.

Yan Xia's heart was filled with astonishment. The third-generation controllable nuclear fusion device had successfully completed thirty-seven strict ignition tests and was now being installed. When the enormous device was being loaded onto the spacecraft, Yan Xia could hardly believe it. After all, his consciousness was still stuck a hundred years ago.

"Yan Xia, after the third-generation controllable nuclear fusion device is installed, the power bottleneck of my mainframe will be raised once again," Ella said.

"In the past century, my code has undergone 23 rewrites, and I hope you, one of my creators, can check my code for me."

Ella swiped across the screen, and a large amount of code appeared in front of Yan Xia. As a computer engineer, Yan Xia instantly felt uncomfortable looking at this code, especially when he saw the number of lines. He couldn't hold it back anymore.

The line count of the source code was 183,729 lines! Though he felt dizzy, Ella had been his primary assurance all this time, so Yan Xia carefully inspected the code, including the underlying three principles. After all, among these 180,000 lines of code were the ones Ella had written for himself over the years. These codes had gradually surpassed the level expected in human society. Ella was willing to let him check, probably hoping to put his mind at ease. This also indirectly proved that Ella had become more like a human during these 100 years.

It took a month to complete the inspection. "Inspection complete, everything looks perfectly fine," Yan Xia said from his perspective, finding no flaws.

"Great!" Virtual Ella exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down.

Meanwhile, the Hope spacecraft had finally finished installing the third-generation nuclear fusion device. Yan Xia sat in the enormous cockpit, surrounded by screens displaying scenes from various factories, with robots still working. Everything here couldn't fit into the Hope spacecraft. These things had to stay behind.

"Ella, is there any chance they can survive a solar storm?" Yan Xia asked.

"Only a less than one in a thousand chance, Yan Xia," Ella replied earnestly. "We are too close to the sun here, even escaping is quite risky. Our thrusters actually use fusion-heated protons instead of directly using the plasma generated by fusion for propulsion, which also has its limitations in terms of efficiency."

Yan Xia sighed. In fact, he had discussed this issue with Ella before. Fusion propulsion wasn't difficult to make, but it was challenging to generate electricity while propelling the spacecraft. And electricity was the core of Ella's computational power, so some trade-offs had been made here.

"At least there's still a slight possibility," Yan Xia said. "Let's create an artificial intelligence system for them. If they can survive, let them develop on their own. After all, this place is the origin of humanity. Their birth is also an extension of human civilization. As we leave the solar system this time, not knowing life or death, I hope that these machines, if they can survive, can inherit the will of humanity."

Ella nodded, her white fur trembling and a touch of melancholy in her expression.

"Okay, Yan Xia!" In less than a minute, all the work was completed.

"Ignition, Ella," Yan Xia said. "The destination is still Proxima Centauri."

Yan Xia looked at the factories outside through the screens. He truly didn't know if he would ever return from this journey.

"Understood, Solar System Asteroid Interstellar Port 001 begins retraction. Clamps disengaged, spacecraft leaving the port, arrived at the designated launch position!"

"Target trajectory confirmed, optimal course set, all magnetic valves open, all electromagnetic thrusters powered up."

"Everything is ready."

"5!"

"4!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Ignition..."

The spacecraft came to life, and a terrifying icy-blue heat wave erupted from the rear, seemingly capable of melting everything. Like a shooting star, it left the asteroid. Perhaps, this was an eternal farewell.

On the asteroid, all the robots came out and saluted in the direction of the departing Hope spacecraft.