Ouyang Zhanpeng knew the situation was urgent and wanted to set off immediately, but was stopped by Zhou Guangyi: "Your mission is not that simple. You must comprehensively assess the impact of Aldebaran on Earth and other star systems, and delineate dangerous and safe zones. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand!" Ouyang Zhanpeng replied crisply.
"Do you know how to measure and differentiate?"
Ouyang Zhanpeng was stunned and shook his head awkwardly: "No."
"The assessment team is ready to pick you up... but they are all technical experts and don't understand military matters. You will have to make the final decision on how to proceed."
"Understood." Ouyang Zhanpeng agreed.
Simply put, the assessment team was only responsible for providing suggestions. How the warship should fly and which route to choose had to be decided by Ouyang Zhanpeng.
After the communication ended, the Starship immediately jumped to Earth's vicinity. A transport vessel flew out from the geostationary orbit station of the space elevator and entered the Starship.
A short while later, a young woman with a scholarly demeanor entered the bridge and extended her hand to Ouyang Zhanpeng: "Hello, I'm Yu Jia. You must be Captain Ou. I've heard so much about you."
"Hello, I am." Ouyang Zhanpeng motioned her to sit down. "Team Leader Yu, we are good at fighting, but we are not professional at measuring supernovae. If it's convenient, could you please explain the situation?"
Everyone assumed that facing this sudden disaster, Yu Jia, as a professional, would be more worried than others. However, they didn't expect her eyes to light up when she talked about the supernova: "This is the first time we've encountered a supernova so close. Its situation is very complex."
"First, we need to assess the intensity of the gamma-ray burst and determine if Earth is safe; second, we need to measure its exact duration, not just the gamma rays, but also the subsequent particle storms, and finally determine their impact on Earth. Also, we need to measure the range of the supernova's influence, which is also very important."
Ouyang Zhanpeng seemed to understand: "Do we need to measure the gamma-ray intensity up close?"
"Yes... preferably up close," Yu Jia said.
Ouyang Zhanpeng frowned: "Team Leader Yu, one thing must be clear: the assessment team is only responsible for offering suggestions. I will decide how to proceed. I understand your passion for astronomy, but for the safety of Earth, I need accurate and detailed advice, not personal agendas, and certainly not to put my warship in danger. I think you understand what I mean, right?"
Yu Jia's expression changed slightly, and she said very seriously: "Every suggestion I make is based on my professional expertise. No one in the assessment team has the authority to interfere with the operation."
"Very well, we have reached an agreement." Ouyang Zhanpeng smiled. "The cabins have been arranged. Please go back and rest well."
"Alright," Yu Jia stood up, making no attempt to hide her displeasure.
After she entered the teleportation gate, Ling Xiao immediately said, "What's wrong with this woman?"
"Who cares, she's just here to give suggestions," Ouyang Zhanpeng said.
"Why don't we replace her before we depart?" Ling Xiao suggested.
At Ouyang Zhanpeng's current status, replacing a team leader was just a matter of a word. However, he shook his head and refused without much thought: "No need. Let's sort out the situation now... To understand the power and range of the supernova explosion, we must get close to the radiation burst. Our shields are strong, but it's hard to say if they can withstand high-intensity gamma rays."
"Then what do we do?"
Ouyang Zhanpeng's brow furrowed deeply: "First, determine the range, then find a way to measure the intensity!"
He gestured with his finger, and a stereoscopic star map was immediately projected in the bridge.
As his finger moved, the star map shifted and enlarged, and soon, Aldebaran became the center of the projection.
Without the latest data, the Starship's database had not yet been updated. Aldebaran was still the original red giant, very bright, very dazzling.
Ouyang Zhanpeng made over a dozen marks on the star map and nodded with satisfaction: "Set off immediately!"
The Starship left Earth through a wormhole.
Witnessing this, Shan Qiuyu said worriedly, "Old Zhou, do you think we can survive this trial?"
Zhou Guangyi sighed faintly, "It's seventeen light-years now. We have at least forty more years of safety. Perhaps by then, there will be a solution. As for other matters, let's wait for news from the Starship."
Shan Qiuyu pursed her lips and remained silent, her mind churning with thoughts, unable to calm down.
First extraterrestrial civilizations, then star beasts, and now even interstellar disasters have appeared. This can no longer be explained by merely being "full of hardships."
What other more dangerous encounters await humanity next?
Zhou Guangyi was not much better. He wanted to say that the future should be left to the young to worry about, but how could he say such irresponsible words at a time like this?
He was already considering whether to convert himself into a robot and continue to contribute his remaining warmth to humanity.
Mu Xingyu, on the other hand, made a more practical suggestion: "Regardless of whether there is a threat, the immigration plan cannot stop!"
His idea was immediately approved by Zhou and Shan.
"Our current spacecraft technology is still too poor. It would be best to expand our immigration targets to farther interstellar spaces, such as the Perseus Arm and the Sagittarius Arm."
"The environment at the edge of the galaxy is more stable, but the possibility of higher civilizations appearing is higher; the environment in the inner galaxy is harsh, but the chance of civilizations appearing is relatively low. We must carefully consider which direction to focus on."
"Our position is too poor. We must cross the Orion Arm to fly to the Perseus Arm. The Sagittarius Arm is easier. Why not focus on the Sagittarius Arm!"
"It's still the poor spacecraft technology. We must increase investment in the future and focus on research!"
The old men exchanged words, and soon decided on the next strategic direction. This was only the framework; the detailed plan still needed to be filled in slowly.
The Starship passed through a wormhole and appeared in a dark void. Not far ahead was a red dwarf star.
These small stars were the most numerous in the Milky Way, with low luminosity and long lifespans, encountered everywhere.
Everyone immediately got busy according to their respective duties. Zeng Qiao immediately reported: "Distance to target is 19 light-years. Visual estimate shows no change in the target!"
"No abnormalities detected in the spatial environment. Radiation levels are normal!"
Ouyang Zhanpeng looked at the bright star on the screen and sighed helplessly.
The light from the supernova had not yet reached them, so everyone still saw the original red giant: "Target Aldebaran, distance one light-year, initiate wormhole!"
As the wormhole began, Zeng Qiao reported again: "No abnormalities detected!"
Well, if there are no abnormalities, that's fine. The Starship advanced another light-year, and still found nothing.
The closer they got to the radiation burst, the more uneasy Ouyang Zhanpeng felt. What if there were no problems when opening the wormhole, but after the warship passed through, it was immediately hit by gamma rays?
He didn't dare to fly forward randomly. Instead, he learned from the Expedition Seven and opened wormholes at different distances to repeatedly test the radiation intensity outside the ship.
Fortunately, wormholes only affected the direction of radiation propagation and did not weaken the radiation. Otherwise, what's the point of measuring? It would be better to return to Earth honestly and prepare to flee.
After repeated measurements, they finally encountered gamma rays at a distance of 18.01 light-years. Pulling the distance back by half a month resulted in a calm and normal situation.
Calculating distances in light-years inevitably led to conversion issues. To avoid calculation troubles, 18 light-years and 1 light-month were usually written as 18/01 light-years.
This meant writing the normal part before the decimal point and the month after the decimal point. If more precision was needed, it could be written as 18/01/13, meaning 18 light-years, 1 month, and 13 days.
The final measured front line position was 18/01/07.
After finding the front line of the gamma-ray burst, Ouyang Zhanpeng left a three-day buffer distance and jumped the Starship directly in front of the radiation burst to continue measuring the duration of the radiation burst using wormholes.
Actually, Expedition Seven had already measured it, just not as precisely.
Ouyang Zhanpeng thought it would be a simple matter to continue the measurement, but after advancing the wormhole by half a light-month, they found nothing.
Everyone was dumbfounded. This situation was not right. How could it be inconsistent with the data provided by Expedition Seven?
Reducing the interval to ten days, they found something this time, but the intensity of the gamma rays was significantly insufficient.
Could it be that Aldebaran's explosion was small, so the radiation burst only lasted ten days? Then what did Expedition Seven encounter?
Ouyang Zhanpeng was full of doubts. One light-month forward, no anomaly.
One and a half months, still no movement.
But at two months, high-intensity gamma rays were detected again!
After careful measurement, the subsequent radiation burst lasted from 17/11/24 to 17/09/12, which was 2 months and 12 days.
Then there were high-intensity particle storms, which lasted much longer, nearly five light-months.
Ouyang Zhanpeng was confused on the spot. How could a supernova explosion have pauses? Was it an uncontrolled preliminary preview before a full-scale explosion, followed by the main event?
What was going on?
"This situation is impossible. You must have made a mistake!" When the measurement data was presented to Yu Jia, she unhesitatingly refused.
"These are the results of our on-site measurements, not a bit of falsification." Ouyang Zhanpeng's expression was stern. "I'm not asking if the data is true, but asking you to analyze why this situation occurred!"
"This situation is impossible!" Yu Jia's chest heaved with anger, and she glared fiercely at Ouyang Zhanpeng.
"This is not the place for you to vent your emotions!" Ouyang Zhanpeng's gaze was sharp. "Let me emphasize again, I called you here to analyze the data, not to question its authenticity!"
"How can you expect me to analyze such data?"
"Forget it. Send her back. She is not allowed to leave the cabin without my consent. Ask others if they have any reasonable ideas, even guesses." Ouyang Zhanpeng said.
Ling Xiao immediately went to call for someone.
Yu Jia was furious: "Ouyang Zhanpeng, you have no right to restrict my freedom!"
"I'm sorry, on the warship, I have that right." Ouyang Zhanpeng said. "Do you know why they arranged for you to come here? I seriously doubt your professionalism."
"You!" Yu Jia was almost choked with anger, but she knew it was important to persuade. She forcefully suppressed her anger. "From what we know, this situation is impossible. Therefore, it's not that I don't want to analyze, but that I can't analyze!"
Ouyang Zhanpeng curled his lips: "See, isn't that better? Why argue with me about incorrect data!"
Yu Jia snorted coldly and turned to look at the corner, no longer wanting to speak with Ouyang Zhanpeng.
Call her petty or stubborn, but a supernova explosion in two stages? Was this bullshit?
The star map already marked the measurement results. Aldebaran was in the center. The outermost thin halo represented the radiation burst of ten light-days. The thicker shell behind it represented the radiation burst of over two months. Further back, the five light-month particle storm was marked in red.
Gamma-ray bursts propagated at the speed of light and would reach the solar system on time decades later. Particle storms were different. Their speed was slightly less than the speed of light, and they would be deflected or decelerated by stars or other interfering factors. Even if they reached the solar system, most of the particles would be affected by the Sun's magnetic field, and then filtered by Earth's magnetic field. The threat to Earth was not significant.
Once the range was determined, the next step was to measure the radiation intensity. Ouyang Zhanpeng searched the star map for a long time and found a red dwarf star only ten days away from the front line.
So, the Starship immediately jumped there and hid behind the red dwarf star, using the star to shield the warship and wait for the arrival of the gamma-ray burst.
While there was still time, the Starship also deployed several specially reinforced satellites nearby. These were equipped with special lenses and various sensors, which theoretically could capture the scene of Aldebaran's explosion.
Opportunities were rare and should not be missed!
It was no exaggeration to say that every frame of a red giant's explosion was invaluable and priceless data for humanity, possessing immense research value.
To increase the success rate of the shooting, each lens was equipped with a protective layer, some made of high-purity water, some of thick glass, and other highly transparent materials that did not affect shooting.
It was no exaggeration to say that although there were not many satellites, all usable materials had been utilized, and even two satellites had high-intensity shields!
This was truly outrageous. Given the intensity of the radiation burst, wouldn't the shields shine brightly? What could the lenses capture?
After spending a few days arranging everything, they waited patiently. During this time, they contacted Earth several times and sent back all the data obtained.
As the days passed and the radiation burst drew closer, the atmosphere on the ship grew increasingly tense. Even a small group of people began to doubt whether the red dwarf could withstand the gamma rays.
Even if it could withstand the gamma rays, what about the neutrino storm? That thing was said to penetrate everything, and five light-years of lead plate were needed to block it.
Although theoretically, this thing would not have any impact on humans, the intensity of the neutrino storm generated by the supernova explosion would certainly far exceed the intensity of the stars encountered in normal times. Even if the probability of it reacting with the human body was small, with such a large base number, it was still a concern!
In any case, the Starship had no possibility of leaving. It remained firmly fixed in its predetermined position until the gamma-ray burst arrived.