CAT Chapter 41: Endless Cycle (3)

The antimatter weapon project was declared successfully concluded. Even with the intentionally reduced figures, it still astonished people. Zone 3 stored 100 small antimatter projectiles and 10 large antimatter projectiles in the weapons vault, setting the highest level of access control. Only both the Marshal and Madam Chen could operate it simultaneously to unlock it.

With the completion of this project, the resource shortage on the spacecraft was alleviated. Zone 5 was now able to secure far more metal materials, and a new batch of exoskeleton was produced—an exoskeleton controlled by implanted neural chips in the brain.

Zheng Shu placed a silver-white low-temperature metal box in front of Lin Si.

Lin Si immediately realized what was inside.

He opened the box, and a cold gust of air rushed out. Inside, arranged neatly in the layered metal grid, were 100 miniature electric shock plates, each only 2 millimeters wide. The special material allowed them to immediately adhere to the biological metal on the chip and integrate with it.

Lin Si glanced at them, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He closed the lid and pushed the box aside.

Zheng Shu saw his actions and smiled helplessly. “I tested it for you. To induce unconsciousness, it will take at least an hour. It can’t be weaker than that. Theoretically, it shouldn’t have a significant impact on the human brain.”

Lin Si asked, “Has the Marshal approved it?”

“Yes,” Zheng Shu replied gently. “Only Tang Ning and I know about this. I’ve also reviewed the control program he wrote. There will be no misjudgment accidents. I’ll send it to you later.”

Lin Si gave a slight “hm.”

The electric shock could only be triggered in two situations: when both the Marshal and Madam Chen pressed the button simultaneously, or if the program determined that the exoskeleton’s next movement would cause catastrophic damage to the spacecraft. The shock wouldn’t be lethal. Compared to the Marshal’s original plan, this outcome was acceptable.

Lin Si took a slightly larger low-temperature box and toolbox from the wall grid and began to embed the chip and electric shock plate under a low-magnification microscope on the lab table.

Zheng Shu asked, “What will you do after this project is done?”

“I don’t have any plans yet,” Lin Si replied. “Help me look over some of the smaller projects.”

“No plans?” Zheng Shu asked, a bit puzzled and teasing. “In all these years, I’ve never seen Dr. Lin without a plan.”

“I might not stay on the spacecraft for long,” Lin Si said.

Zheng Shu immediately sensed something. “You’re going outside?”

“The Marshal’s plan is for all of ‘Limitless’ to be sent out on a mission. I plan to apply to go with them,” he answered.

The idea of a new voyage had been officially brought up. Once the foundational equipment for Zones 8 and 9 was completed, the new spacecraft would set sail again. The Marshal had even given the newly combined spacecraft from Zones 8 and 9 a grand name: “Expeditioner.”

“The ‘Expeditioner’ has almost no research environment,” Zheng Shu frowned. “What made you decide to go there?”

“I’ll go with Ling Yi,” Lin Si thought for a moment and then answered. “He can’t be without me.”

Zheng Shu laughed helplessly. “You spoil him more than Ye Selin does.”

Lin Si smiled faintly and continued with his work.

But he was also thinking about Zheng Shu’s words.

— His decision had indeed been a bit hasty, but when he found out that the entire “Limitless” team was being assigned to the Expeditioner, the first thought that came to his mind was it, without any hesitation.

It seemed like he was spoiling Ling Yi a little too much, but if he stayed on the ‘Expeditioner’… there wouldn’t be anything meaningful for him to do.

After finishing the handover with Lin Si, Zheng Shu quickly left. The mechanical devices for planet exploration and development were mostly handled by Zone 5, so even though the exoskeleton project was nearly complete, Lin Si, usually the busiest person, was now free, though he was still very busy.

Once all the chips were prepared, implantation was the next step.

A simple surgical setup appeared on the training grounds, and a group of people eagerly gathered around. Inserting probes several times a day was painful, and they had been eagerly awaiting the chips.

The chip implantation procedure seemed simple but actually required very complex operations. Fortunately, micro-robots assisted in the process, making things much easier.

The intelligent model would calculate the most suitable incision location based on each person’s body data, and then the chip would be inserted through a small incision at the back of the neck. Guided by nano-robots, it would gradually enter the cerebellum’s nerve center to establish a connection. The biological metal had a very strong affinity for human tissue and could coexist harmoniously with the cerebellum for a lifetime.

— Implanting the chip only required a one-centimeter-long incision at the back of the neck. To remove it, only craniotomy could do the job. This was why the Marshal wasn’t worried that anyone would tamper with the chip midway.

Ling Yi was a bit afraid of having an incision made on the back of his neck. Like a cat, he sat on the shoulder of an exoskeleton, secretly observing until the last person’s chip was successfully implanted, then jumped down and rubbed up against Lin Si.

Lin Si snapped the metal box shut with a “thud,” set the password lock, and said, “You’re late, student.”

Svenya let out a laugh and didn’t rush to try the exoskeleton. Instead, she just watched.