Nevada, United States of North America, 2072
In the control room of the particle accelerator, Dr. Owens looks at the screen with a serious expression. For the first time, the amount produced exceeds the energy cost used. The man behind him is overjoyed: after several years of investments and unsuccessful research, they have finally succeeded. He addresses the team of researchers in the room, congratulates them on their efforts, and then takes the elevator.
The elevator takes him to the surface of the research complex. Accompanied by two guards, the man hurries to leave the complex towards the aerodrome connected to the buildings. On the tarmac, he takes a moment to observe the crates of his product being loaded into a specially modified transport aircraft. Finally, one of his guards signals that the helicopter is ready.
The man heads towards the magnificent machine: a tiltrotor, an aircraft equipped with tilting rotors at the end of each wing. It’s an aircraft with a rather rounded nose, and on the tail, detached from the black fuselage of the craft, a spiral is visible, with a plus and minus sign at its center. The man takes his seat in the aircraft. Once in flight, the rotors tilt horizontally after the aircraft has gained altitude.
Chicago, Illinois, United States of North America, 2077.
- Ladies and gentlemen, I have the immense honor of announcing our trans-civilizational discovery: a discovery so groundbreaking that humanity will be changed by it, a discovery that will put an end to famine, a discovery that will elevate us to the status of an interplanetary civilization; I present to you the first antimatter reactor capable of powering the entire East Coast, as powerful as 1000 nuclear power plants. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Nova MK1.
The curtain behind the podium opens, revealing a massive window that spans nearly the entire length of the wall. A hundred meters away, the lights of a massive futuristic, industrial-style building illuminate. On one of its gray fa?ades, between pipes and cables, the name "NOVA" stands out, with the letters "MK" and the number "1" discernible in smaller font next to it.
The distinguished guests are invited to board company buses outside the conference building. The buses take them to the power plant, and once everyone has exited at the main entrance of the plant, Dr. Owens welcomes them, accompanied by several other researchers and security personnel.
Dr. Owens, a man with an aura as austere as it is brilliant, stands before the immense antimatter plant, a complex structure where cables, reactors, and conduits emit a faint bluish glow.
- Ladies and gentlemen, here is the most advanced energy facility ever designed. This power plant utilizes the controlled annihilation of particles and antiparticles in a magnetic confinement chamber, a process capable of generating energy a thousand times greater than that of conventional nuclear reactions, without any radioactive waste. Every detail here has been carefully crafted to control forces of unimaginable power. We are witnessing the future of humanity. Ladies and gentlemen, after you.
Dr. Owens and his team guide the guests through the power plant, until they reach the reactor. It is a massive sphere, located several meters above the ground in one of the plant's buildings, from which cables and pipes hang. At its center, the annihilation reaction between matter and antimatter takes place.
The scientist nods to signal the start of the reactor, and... a violet light spreads throughout the area as the powerful alternators prepare to handle the rotational speed generated by the turbines. The guests are dazzled, and the owner of the company rubs his hands together.
- We are currently starting the reactor, and it is running at low power for now, but notice on this screen: yes, we are indeed supplying the state with energy. Once the government has set up the necessary infrastructure, we will also be able to supply the neighboring states…
A man interrupts Dr. Owens in his description and speaks in a pronounced voice.
- Dr. Owens, Henry Smith, journalist for Federal Time. Are you sure the reaction is safe? What would happen in the event of a breach in the reactor? If matter were to come into contact with even 1 gram of antimatter, it would cause an explosion with energy equivalent to three times the bomb that exploded over the city of Hiroshima.
- There is no risk. Even if we were to lose control of the system, the intensity of the magnetic field would increase proportionally to the amount of antimatter in the reactor, which would naturally confine the antimatter inside.
The CEO of the company steps forward beside the scientist.
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- Thank you all for coming, but I'm afraid we must end our tour here. Our team will escort you back to your vehicles.
As all the guests leave the power plant, Peter Mao, the CEO of the company, walks towards the delegation of military officers. The three officers stand next to a pillar. The first is tall and slightly muscular, but his air force and space force ceremonial uniform fits him perfectly, with a golden shuttle and a golden fighter jet side by side on his beret, the gold signifying his rank as an officer. The second is an older man, his uniform adorned with a variety of medals reflecting his achievements throughout his long military career. He has a bit of a belly and seems somewhat gruff. He had just returned from a mission in Afghanistan, where he was in charge of coordinating the military forces. The third was the youngest of the three, wearing a distinctive navy uniform, with the name of the fleet he commands clearly visible. Despite his youth, he carries a hardened expression.
- Gentlemen, if you would please follow me.
Dr. Owens, the CEO, and the three representatives from the North American military head towards a tiltrotor on a helipad next to the power plant.
The tiltrotor is almost entirely black, with only green and red lights marking its presence. Its entire fuselage has a polygonal design, indicating its stealth capabilities. Hatch doors that open to launch countermeasures and missiles are subtly visible, integrated into the fuselage.
The five men take their seats in the aircraft as the pilot and copilot finish the final preparations for takeoff. Finally, the aircraft lifts off the ground, and after a vertical flight, it tilts its rotors horizontally and accelerates.
Yukon Rocket Science Research Center, Yukon, United States of North America.
The five men exit the tiltrotor on the helipad, where a group of soldiers and the base commander greet them.
- Welcome, gentlemen. The project is progressing on schedule. The miniature reactor is stable, and we are ready for the first test.
Peter Mao steps forward, shaking the man's hand.
- Good, since everyone is here, we can begin the testing phase.
As the men settle into jeeps to head towards the base's control tower, Peter looks at the flagpole where the Federation flag is suspended. The dark blue flag features a stylized white star encircled by two concentric rings, themselves surrounded by several smaller circles of white stars, symbolizing the 63 states of the Federation. Two red stripes bordered with white run along the sides. Peter settles into one of the jeeps.
The convoy heads towards the control tower, where they will observe the antimatter engine test. The group enters the tower, where several military scientists are already in position.
Dr. Owens speaks solemnly.
- Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to revolutionize rocket science. This antimatter engine will allow us to reach an unprecedented level of efficiency, enabling interplanetary travel without the need for massive boosters, allowing for the design of true long-term space vessels, and rendering multi-stage chemical rockets obsolete. Observe for yourselves.
On the launch pad, a test vehicle as massive as a warship is positioned vertically. Hydrogen and antimatter storage silos are attached to the main structure, and at its base, an enormous nozzle is visible, with a protrusion on its upper part that is, in fact, a combustion chamber.
On one of the screens, the countdown begins: "10, 9, 8..."
Inside, positrons are directed from the storage unit to an attenuation grid, where they interact with matter and emit heat. Liquid hydrogen flows through the grid and absorbs this heat. The hydrogen then moves towards the nozzle's exit, where it escapes, generating thrust.
"3, 2, 1, lift off."
A thick cloud of smoke fills all the space around it, resembling an explosion. The spacecraft rises into the sky, its bluish flames visible as it produces a deafening roar. The control room erupts in cheers as the screen displays the spacecraft entering low Earth orbit and sending data from the reactor.
After several hours in space, the spacecraft begins its atmospheric re-entry phase. The enormous nozzle lights up, slowing the spacecraft down. The RCS rotates the vessel at the last moment, positioning the front, which has a heat shield, to face the atmosphere. As the spacecraft enters the atmosphere, the re-entry is intense, with orange flames appearing around the vessel. After several minutes of descent, the RCS rotates the spacecraft again, pointing the reactor towards the ground. The reactor ignites once more, slowing the spacecraft until it lands on the designated landing pad.
- "Impressive," says the Army officer. "Just imagine the potential of this technology; with this, we can preserve the lives of our soldiers and search for resources beyond Earth."
- "I see a formidable deterrent," says the Air and Space Force officer. "Antimatter technology outperforms nuclear technology. Furthermore, we are the sole holders of this technology—no other state or organization has reached such a level of military technology in antimatter. Where do we stand regarding the development of antimatter warheads?"
- "I will contact the Secretary of Defense to inform them of the success of the test," says the Navy officer.