Chapter 367: Unobservable Superluminal Speed

"Perhaps the probability of a Gaia organism developing true self-awareness is only one in a billion, or even lower..."

"For an advanced interstellar civilization, the Galactic Core is their primary theater of activity. No advanced species would willingly idle around this desolate, remote planet just to wait on a one-in-a-billion chance!"

"So, they simply dropped an automated probe and moved on across the galaxy... surveying the next candidate system."

Jason drew several vectors on the screen and keyed in notes, outlining the overarching logic of the event.

"Thirty thousand years is a massive span of time, even for an interstellar civilization. We can reasonably assume that fleet has already journeyed to a distant sector... Though, of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of an outpost or a detachment operating somewhere nearby..."

"I remember now!"

Evan from the Department of Public Relations spoke up. "Earth had similar mysteries back in the day... Take the Black Knight satellite, for example. It created quite a stir back then, supposedly being an artificial satellite in orbit for thirteen thousand years!"

"Not to mention countless UFO sightings and legends... Planet Dige is not astronomically far from Earth’s original coordinates. Could this unknown civilization have charted Earth in the past as well?"

This thought stirred another wave of quiet murmurs among the staff.

Jason nodded in agreement and pressed on. "Alright, everyone. Earth’s distant past is unverifiable right now, so let us set that aside. What matters is what happened here on this planet.

Events spiraled entirely outside the alien survey’s projected models... Through an extraordinary chain of coincidences and native interactions, this planetary algal collective sparked genuine self-awareness roughly a decade ago!"

"The AI managing that automated scout determined this breakthrough was of critical value and had to be delivered to its command fleet immediately! It broke orbit, fired up its Warp Drive, and jumped to faster-than-light speed to deliver the report in person!"

Then, during this exact operational vacuum, the most dramatic variable intervened...

Another L-2 interstellar civilization, the Federation—arrived in the system, identified the immense value of the Gaia organism, and began operations to capture it!

"What do we even call this? Some kind of Hijacking?"

"By taking this prize from under their noses, we guarantee their absolute hostility!"

"...Even if we hadn’t touched it, wouldn’t an advanced power strike us on sight anyway? The strategic value of a Gaia organism is astronomical. If we leave no trace, they won’t even know who took it..."

This was the central dilemma paralyzing the room: whether they fled immediately or stayed to complete the retrieval, if the incoming alien fleet detected humanity, conflict was practically guaranteed.

"Alright, are there any other operational variables to factor in? Look at the tactical display; this is a stellar map centered on this star system..." Jason spoke quickly, keeping his remarks concise.

His heart was still hammering against his ribs. These deductions were sound, but they only provided statistical reassurance.

Statistical comfort meant nothing when real survival was on the line.

Capturing the Gaia organism would take time, and a lethal crisis could emerge at any second!

Assisted by a technician, a 3D stellar chart projected over the briefing table, displaying the local stellar neighborhood surrounding Planet Dige.

Within a radius of 10 light-years, there were only 4 stars. Within 20 light-years, the number jumped to 38. Expand the perimeter to 50 light-years, and there were 212 star systems!

"These entries only count stars larger than red dwarfs. If we factor in brown dwarfs, the target density is far higher. The fundamental blind spot is that we don’t know where their command fleet is anchored, or which system their scout set course for..."

"If only we had their flight vector."

An astronomer furrowed his brow and weighed in. "Twelve years of flight time... Assuming a conservative Warp Drive factor of three times the speed of light, and an upper baseline of ten times light speed, our critical threat bubble encompasses every star within roughly 60 light-years..."

Without knowing the adversary’s exact technological tier or maximum warp velocity, this was the best calculation they could make.

Generally speaking, a L-3 interstellar civilization could sustain warp speeds roughly ten times the speed of light. A L-4 civilization was naturally faster; the civilization Cole hailed from could hit twenty times light speed...

Their models indicated there were at least 300 star systems within that 60-light-year danger zone.

It was an analytical nightmare. They had no way to identify where an incoming fleet might drop out of warp, as every system on the chart was a potential point of origin.

The tension in the room was palpable.

Fleeing the system still looked like the most rational choice on paper!

If an automated scout craft measuring only 200 meters in diameter possessed an independent Warp Drive, this civilization’s engineering vastly outclassed the Federation’s. Miniaturizing a warp-capable drive alongside its required power plant indicated high-efficiency, small-scale fusion technology—at minimum, a mature L-3 threshold!

If a direct fleet engagement occurred, humanity’s odds of survival were vanishingly slim. The Federation’s industrial and military reserves were simply too young.

Right at that moment, a sudden spark of insight hit Arthur Lambert. His eyes widened as a critical scientific principle clicked into place.

He shouted, cutting through the heavy silence. "Wait! We’re looking at this entirely wrong! Our entire panic is based on a false premise!"

"A relativistic, light-speed strike? That is completely impossible right now! Look at our early-warning readouts—neither the Gravitational Wave Arrays nor our orbital sensor arrays have registered an incoming spatial wake!"

"In other words, the incoming fleet has not dropped out of faster-than-light transit, or their visual emissions have not yet breached realspace! Think about foundational warp physics:

when a vessel is inside a warp bubble travelling faster than light, is it capable of observing realspace outside?"

A Senior Scientist caught Arthur’s drift instantly. He froze, then yelled across the table, "No! Absolutely not! A vessel enclosed within a superluminal warp bubble cannot receive external electromagnetic or optical telemetry! No matter how advanced their systems are, the laws of physics hold. That is an immutable physical barrier of warp metrics!"

The Senior Scientist shook with sudden relief, and Jason felt an intense jolt of clarity run through him.

"Exactly!"

Arthur Lambert sprang from his chair, every trace of anxiety evaporating from his posture. "We have been terrifying ourselves over a ghost! We were panicking about an instantaneous, light-speed strike, but what is the physical reality? The adversary doesn’t even know we are here!"

"Think through the mechanics! They are locked inside a warp bubble, completely blind to realspace conditions along their vector, cruising toward this system expecting an untouched planet with an awakening Gaia organism!"

"They have zero information that the Federation arrived during their transit window. We were driving ourselves mad with worst-case assumptions!

This is the brutal reality of interstellar distances, light and telemetry cannot cheat the vast expanse of space!"

Arthur’s explanation cleared the dread suffocating the room. Every Department Head at the table was sharp enough to recognize the immense strategic opening this provided.

The collective panic transformed into an electrifying rush, the thrilling sensation of dodging a fatal bullet.