They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 254 Global Defense System
Looking at the holographic projection...

Everyone present, including the director, Sawai, was completely speechless.

Is this... really a technology that humans can achieve?

"Dr. Masaki, please... please explain the principles of this system in detail."

After a long while, it was Director Sawai who was the first to recover from the huge shock and asked Masaki Keigo.

"of course."

Masaki Keigo snapped his fingers, accompanied by his movement.

The central holographic image then changed, focusing on one of the towers. The huge Earth model and defense system slowly disappeared, replaced by a more complex system structure diagram.

"The history of the evolution of human weapons can be said to be an improvement in the efficiency of energy utilization."

From stone tools and cold weapons to chemical-energy-powered thermal weapons, and then to atomic-energy-powered nuclear weapons...

As you can see, the foundation of this system is a series of towers built on the equator.

Its top-mounted solar energy collection system will continuously capture solar radiation from space and convert it into high-purity electricity.

"This system operates entirely on solar radiation from outside the atmosphere."

This means that its energy source is virtually unlimited.

It can both protect the Earth's interior and deliver precise strikes against monsters on the ground and in the air;

It can also monitor outer space, providing early warnings and destroying threats from space, such as... meteorites.

Masaki Keigo explained.

Before the words were finished, the holographic image switched again.

In the boundless depths of space, a massive meteorite burning with raging flames is hurtling toward the azure Earth at an alarming speed.

Its size combined with its speed is enough to easily destroy a modern megacity...

The moment it entered the warning range, the device atop the tower on Earth's equator lit up.

The next second, several streams of energy shot out from the top of the tower, accurately hitting the incoming meteorite.

Under the beam of light, the meteorite was shattered.

Upon witnessing this scene, a collective gasp filled the conference room.

"Oh? That's interesting?"
But it doesn't seem like its power level is necessarily greater than the MAX power system, does it?

Yoshioka asked thoughtfully. As the police chief, his primary concern was always the power of weapons.

He also agrees with Keigo Masaki's view that the evolution of human weapons reflects the evolution of human efficiency in energy utilization.

The Max Propulsion System, TPC's trump card, is based on the utilization of antimatter.

Although it is currently being developed as a spacecraft propulsion system, its power as a weapon is foreseeable.

Given the current state of weaponry, it would be more worthwhile to focus on developing superweapons powered by the MAX system rather than investing resources in building such towers.

Upon hearing the term "Max Dynamics," an elderly man with gray hair and thick glasses sitting in the corner raised an eyebrow in displeasure.

He is Dr. Yao from the TPC Technology Department, the chief designer of Max Power Systems.

In his initial vision, it was a power source for spaceships used for interstellar travel, a beacon of hope carrying humanity's dream of exploring the universe, not a weapon that people like Yoshioka talk about all the time.

However, it is undeniable that, in terms of energy efficiency and instantaneous destructive power, the Max propulsion system is indeed the pinnacle of human technology.

"Director Yoshioka, power is not the only measure of a weapon. We also need to consider cost and ease of use."

"The Max system is powerful, but it relies on extremely rare and dangerous antimatter as fuel."

This means that this system will not be able to be mass-produced, let alone deployed regularly, for a long time to come.

It's more like a golden pistol that can only fire once—precious, but incapable of handling a real war.

The energy source for global defense systems is the ubiquitous solar radiation in outer space.

That's basically inexhaustible..."

A confident smile played on Masaki Keigo's lips as he turned and looked directly at Yoshioka. "This means that once this system is built, it can even carry out uninterrupted saturation strikes within a global defense perimeter."

Which do you think is more practical: the Max system, which can only fire one shot, or the global defense system, which can fire indefinitely?

"..."

After hearing this, Director Yoshioka fell silent.

What is war about? It's about logistics and sustainability.

A sword that can be used countless times is far more valuable on the battlefield than a dragon-slaying saber that can only be wielded once.

"I see……"

"The sun's energy...is indeed inexhaustible for humanity at present."

"So how do you plan to persuade other countries in the world to participate in this project?"

"The scale and difficulty of this project far exceed what our TPC can handle, and we must rely on the strength of all countries in the world."

However, the mere reason of dealing with a 'potential' monster threat is unlikely to convince politicians to empty the national treasury and play this 'Star Wars' game with us.

Yoshioka's gaze sharpened, and he raised another question.

His words hit the nail on the head.

Abandoning conventional armaments and establishing the TPC is tantamount to countries around the world relinquishing part of their defense authority.

Now they are being asked to invest astronomical amounts of resources to build a defense system led by the TPC. The political maneuvering and conflicts of interest involved are unimaginably complex.

"Who says the value of this system is only in its weapons?"

If the goal is simply to collect solar radiation from outer space, launching a few satellites would suffice.

The main purpose of building it in this form is for space exploration.

Once completed, the cost for humans to travel from Earth's surface to low Earth orbit will drop from tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram to less than one hundred dollars. What does this mean?
Masaki Keigo explained that the technology for the space elevator naturally came from the world of The Wandering Earth. He had already conducted technical verification, and the relevant engineering and technical conditions also existed in this world.

Therefore, it is possible to build a space elevator...

Upon hearing this, a low gasp of surprise rippled through the conference room.

Those present were all elites, and they instantly understood the immense value contained within it.

However, Masaki Keigo's "sales pitch" was not over yet.

"At the same time, the solar energy collection system mounted on the top of the space elevator can not only power the defense system, but also convert surplus solar energy into high-density microwaves and transmit them directionally back to the receiving station on the ground."

This vast, clean, and stable energy source is sufficient to address the world's increasingly severe energy pressures.

To avoid the situation that Chief of Staff Nanbara feared—an excessive concentration of power that could even trigger a new arms race—the highest control of this system will be exercised by a 'Global Defense Council' composed of the TPC and the top leaders of all participating countries, which will be responsible for unified management and decision-making.

It does not belong to any country, nor does it belong solely to TPC.

It belongs to all of humanity.

Upon hearing Masaki Keigo's explanation, both the hawks who advocated for a hardline confrontation and the doves who worried about the erosion of the foundation of peace couldn't help but nod slowly.

This plan... is absolutely perfect!
Energy issues, space exploration, global defense weapons, plus a relatively fair common management mechanism... This is a grand blueprint that can lead human civilization to achieve leapfrog development.

If Masaki Keigo can technically prove that this plan is truly feasible, there's probably no need for the TPC to lobby; countries around the world will be scrambling to join it.

Because everyone knows that missing this train is equivalent to missing out on the entire future.

Unlike the others, Masaki Keigo remained completely unmoved.

Because all of this was within his calculations.

Of course, besides the reasons mentioned above, he had an even more important reason for designing this system.

The light of the stars in this world is equivalent to an energy source for the Giants of Light.

Once completed, this system will also serve as an amplification device for the giants' power...

(End of this chapter)