Bo Li was a quiet girl who preferred her own company. She usually spent her time at the library or in a corner by herself day-dreaming.

Nevertheless, her favorite spot was the laboratory.

Bo Li was one of the Whisperers among the h.o.m.o Evolutis. She was able to receive a mysterious voice hinting at the solution whenever she faced a difficult scientific conundrum. This was possible because the voice helped increase the whisperer's brain activity whenever it appeared. Studies showed that the voice influenced a tenfold increase in brain activity every time it announced itself.

This was in the h.o.m.o Evolutis Faction's rudimentary a.n.a.lysis report on the Whisperers.

Viewed from this perspective, the Whisperers could be said to be the most human among all the h.o.m.o Evolutis. Their power was the most similar to common human psychology. The basis could be found in the theory of trial and error. The answer was teased out through a dissection of the problem from multiple angles, and every error brought the Whisperer ever closer to the truth. As it was mentioned before, it was only when man ceased to try that the inst.i.tution of science would fall.

This was the historical truth. From Newton's law of gravity to the theory of relativity, from cla.s.sical mechanics to quantum mechanics, they only came into existence after numerous trials and errors. In other words, to be a good scientist, one had to have a thrill for failure.

Currently, the Academy had pretty much covered all of the available basic fields of science. Granted their total number couldn't rival the number they had when they were still on Earth, being small in number had its own perks. For one, this ensured that the Academy was not divided by countries, race, or politics. Instead, its members were all gathered under one banner. With the collective strength from all its different fields, the Academy's scientific prowess was equal to 3/4 of America's original scientific contribution, and that was already in itself an impressive feat.

For another, this ensured that the scientific scene remained vibrant. Even though experienced scientists like Alan and Silewei had fixed powerful positions within the Academy, the rest of the administrative ladder was incredibly fluid. Yao Yuan believed that the allure of a better lifestyle from earning promotions would bring the best out of the members of the Academy. s.h.i.+ning examples of people who started at the bottom but quickly rose to the top were Ivan and Bo Li. Another benefit was that this policy put everyone at a relatively level playing field, so this erased the possibility of workplace bullying.

Currently, the Academy had three main affairs: One, studies on the alien plants and its byproducts, the multiple alloys, and energy crystal. After all, the crystal reactors were an accidental discovery, so they didn't truly understand its underlying mechanism. Like how it happened in the underground base, it could turn into a liability in an instant. Therefore, the Hope would sleep better at night if the Academy could finally grasp its inner workings.

Two, studies on h.o.m.o Evolutis. There were eight formal cla.s.ses of h.o.m.o Evolutis: the Diviner, the Deceiver, the Seeker, the Whisperer, the Anima, the Perceptor, the Thinker, and the All-Rounder. However, the verdict was still out on the validity of the Thinker because the scientists believed that these were simply people with acute observation and logic.

In any case, these eight were things that defied scientific conventions. Take for an example the Seeker. When Ying used his superpower, he could see 10 times better than a normal human being. In other words, while the rest of us saw moving pictures on the televisions, Ying would see a sequence of changing stills.

His power was not limited to dissecting moving pictures; his sight could also zoom into measurement as small as 10 nanometers!

Initially, the Academy thought this to be impossible, because it was simply inhuman, but they devised an experiment just to be certain. Using nano-lasers, a random word was scrawled onto a piece of metal. In fact, the word was so small that the technician himself couldn't tell what he had written. Nevertheless, the picture drawn by Ying matched the image that showed up on the microscope perfectly! This stunned the whole Academy, but instead of stopping them, it sparked a wave of scientific fervor within the community. Hypotheses were tossed around regarding the mechanism of the h.o.m.o Evolutis, and the most valid among them all was the theory on brain evolution.

Three, studies on s.p.a.ce weaponry.

It was common knowledge on yhe Hope that they were too under-armed to carve a successful way out of the dangerous cosmos.

Ever since their misadventures on Planet Sahara, there had been an unspoken truth bubbling among the citizens of the Hope. They must try their best to avoid contact with other alien civilization.

Their fear wasn't unfounded, because for one, they were forced to step into s.p.a.ce at least 100 years before the projected time. Following man's progress in science, they were supposed to start by exploring the Moon or Mars because that was the goal man had set themselves for the 21st century.

In the 22nd century, a s.p.a.ce station was supposed to be in the works. Modifications could be done in stages to improve the functionalities and hospitability of this s.p.a.ce station.

In the early 23rd century, after man had gotten used to life in s.p.a.ce, efforts for s.p.a.ce migration to nearby planets, like Mars, could begin in earnest.

Around the middle of 24th century, maybe man's technology would improve to such a stage where man could find hospitability at the fringe of the solar system. This would be in preparation for man to leave the safety of the solar system around the end of 25th century. This meant that, according to this schedule, s.p.a.ce travelling between galaxies was supposed to be only possible… in the early 27th century!

In other words, the Hope had left Earth around 600 years earlier than scheduled!

100 years difference could mean the difference between safety and death in s.p.a.ce, much less 600 years!

Many people on the Hope saw that cruel reality. They knew that s.p.a.ce wasn't going to be a paradise, and the presence of a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p junkyard had just confirmed their suspicion. It was a harsh place out there in s.p.a.ce!

Following the same trajectory, ever since the 12th warp, the cries for more research to be done in s.p.a.ce weaponry were getting louder and louder. Most of it came from famed scientists, Silewei being the movement's most stringent champion. It was his belief that science dictated a civilization's fight or flight instinct. Peace could only be brokered between societies of similar scientific prowess. And currently, with its weak a.r.s.enal, the Hope was easy prey.

Therefore, to survive, they needed better weaponry!

To that effect, with Bo Li at the helm, a weaponry research committee was a.s.sembled. Their study was at a turning point, and on the third day after Yao Yuan issued the milk powder limited provision policy, Bo Li barged into command central bearing her team's research result.

"Hmm? Well, isn't this a surprise? Do you need more budget or supplies, Bo Li?" Yao Yuan blurted out, surprised to see Bo Li in his room.

Bo Li shook her head and, without a word, planted herself on the chair opposite Yao Yuan despite not being given the invitation. Then she spread out on his table a series of files. When her files almost buried his present work, Yao Yuan coughed and asked, "Bo Li, I have more than enough things to deal with already on this table. There're the reports on the baby boom, the external cabin, and also the rumor of a bovine outbreak happening in the biomes… So please, just tell me directly what you need."

Bo Li's mouth twitched into a small smile, adding, "The blueprint for the electromagnetic tracker you requested is ready, but it still needs a field test on the upgraded shuttle. The Gaussian Weapons on the other hand… are sadly still in their theoretical stages. We have several prototypes ready, but they will need some time before they can be brought into the field. The issue is energy storage. Without fitting it with the newly improved batteries, they are functional for only two minutes."

A silence ensued as Yao Yuan stood up to walk about the room. Then he added, "Your team has given me more than 10 new weapon types. It has gone way beyond not only my expectations, but also the expectations of the Academy. They say that your team's contributions might be the sign that the scientific renaissance that we're hoping for is coming. Of course, I know your role in bringing about this development couldn't be understated, so… Ning Bo Li, name your needs. I will try my best to provide."

"Robots," replied Bo Li in a calm tone. "Remember the spherical robots that your team demolished at the original s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p base, the one back on Earth? I need their carca.s.ses, but it would be best if you could find me some that are still intact. Those robots have internal mechanisms that are closest to the Gaussian technology, and I need them!"