Deep Space Wandering Fleet
Chapter 266 - Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Plan... Approved

Chapter 266: Chapter 266: Plan… Approved! Chapter 266: Chapter 266: Plan… Approved! In the office, there was silence for a while.

Zhang Yuan’s plan was not only a bit far-fetched but could even be described as somewhat evil!

To send all members of a civilization into a virtual world…

And for them to do so willingly? Such a thought sent chills down one’s spine; even he felt slightly uncomfortable.

Zhang Yuan braced himself and explained, “If you were in that kind of… state for a long time, you would definitely develop different thoughts. Life has no more joy, and your thoughts are controlled by drugs. Aside from the momentary climax, everything else feels lackluster. Even your very existence becomes unimportant…”

“In such circumstances, if there is a world where you can choose the life you desire, and it imbues a new meaning, why not enter it? What does it matter if it’s virtual? If you can’t distinguish between virtual and reality, then just treat it as real.”

“Of course, all this is only the result of my calculations. But I believe that such inference is the ultimate choice of a civilization trapped in the snare of entertainment… if we really do develop this technology, this deal is highly likely to be brokered with our deliberate promotion.”

Over the past few days, people had received exceptionally valuable data from the transactions–detailed histories of the Gleize Civilization right down to specific years, days, and the actions of certain great figures!

The historical milestones were broken down into several hundred pages of extensive catalogues. Whether it was the original scientists, university professors, or even some graduate students, everyone was involved in the work.

New Civilization History is not solely mathematics or predictive science; it’s a management discipline about civilization. It shouldn’t be controlled by just a few.

If as little as 10%, or even just 5%, of the entire civilization believed in this subject, understood its essence, knew how to calculate, and strictly adhered to its directives, then… it could be said that the dream of the entire school of thought has been realized, and the civilization would possess a strong self-adjusting ability and an inherent drive to advance.

“And according to calculations, indeed, the Glizerians are very likely to embark on this path,” mumbled a professor, scratching his head.

A civilization, aside from being destroyed by disasters or its own technological folly, ultimately only has two endings!

The first is the path to explore the vast ocean of stars.

The second is the inward-developed path of the “Brain in a Vat.”

The reason for the first outcome is simple; it’s what these human leaders now aspire to–maintaining a civilization’s low entropy form, possessing the drive to constantly move forward, continuously ascend…

Only by venturing into the boundless ocean of stars can this be achieved. Within the infinite universe, there’s always something new, more extraordinary thoughts, more powerful civilizations…

The reason for the second outcome is much more complex, varied in innumerable ways!

Perhaps like the Gleize Civilization, trapped under the control of drugs, resulting in a complete entropy of the ideological consciousness and the impossibility of further advancement; or perhaps like the Earth Civilization, long-term social stratification without any vitality; or perhaps a catastrophe strikes…

Or maybe it’s because the virtual world is just too enchanting, blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s fabricated…

As the saying goes, while the paths forward may converge to the same end, the roads to downfall are countless and varied. If development stalls, it is easy to slowly gravitate towards the second ending.

This is the trend of the era, which prompted Zhang Yuan to think of such a solution.

This plan offers many benefits for humanity; no more worries about war or racial conflicts, and people could acquire the “Universal Factory,” obtaining vast amounts of data on Consciousness Upload!

Without considering consciousness upload for now, just how powerful are thirteen Universal Factories?

According to current data, a single Universal Factory could easily provide for twenty million Glizerians!

Such potent industrial capacity surpasses the technology of Earth Civilization. It’s impossible not to be tempted. Moreover, Captain Zhao and Zhang Yuan were confident humans wouldn’t be led by the nose by the Universal Factory, repeating the Gleize Civilization’s mistakes.

But the people of Gor City demanded too high a price– a Constant Starship in exchange. Other cities would not possibly agree to such a trade. Thus, if humanity truly wanted these Universal Factories, apart from forcibly seizing them through war, this indirect method was the only alternative…

Many people held opposing views because the plan was indeed bizarre. Even if ethics and morality between civilizations need not be considered… such things still bind humanity.

Zhao Qingfeng gently shook his head, suddenly feeling the current ideological consciousness of civilization had its own inherent flaws. If he were a capitalist on Earth, he would have long stopped caring and rolled up his sleeves to get to work.

He said, “Every life has its own comfort zone, and stepping out of it to head towards the ocean of stars is incredibly difficult… Sometimes I, too, wish to remain in this Star Domain, to live a stable life until eternity.”

“To embark on another three thousand-year interstellar journey would be sheer torment.”

“Many of us no longer have the courage for such a venture and would likely remain idle on this planet…”

This captain, whose hair had begun to gray with age, always portrayed a bold and resolute demeanor in front of others.

But in private, he sometimes revealed a side of himself that was lost and timid.

Indeed, people are not made of steel, and even steel suffers fatigue, let alone ordinary humans.

After arriving on this Alien Planet, the pressure has been immense, both internally and externally.

Zhang Yuan smiled and said, “You’re right… Our generation has gradually been worn down mentally; most of us lack the ambition for another three thousand-year journey. The tendency is to stay on this planet and avoid risk.”

“Humanity was born on Earth; deep in our genetics, we can never fully adapt to the Universe… If we are hamstrung by our own constructed morals, tying ourselves down, even when a great opportunity arises, it might just slip away quietly…”

“To be honest, our civilization really has no way of directly dealing with suspected dark technologies like consciousness upload and Virtual Worlds. We must have a civilization go ahead and pave the way… Otherwise, we might as well just give up.”

Everyone fell silent, making their final decision…

The stakes had been laid out very clearly. What room was there for refusal?

Half an hour later, the result was in.

The plan was approved!