Chapter 684: 426: A Lonelier Wait【7400-word Super Large Chapter】_3
Now everything is ready, only lacking the quantum chip.
Even if he could find just one, he could try to synthesize more with the high-precision Quark device, and the problem of artificial intelligence computational power demand would be solved.
Space compression and mass-energy conversion technology would also be restored to a large extent. In addition to taking the No.2 out of the solar system, he could at least build himself a single-manned equipment comparable to the Hawk Armor.
He placed all his hopes in Sergey’s secret base.
Three days later, Harrison built a modular Super Calculation Center covering an area of three hectares on the central ridge of Hammersley Ridge.
The comprehensive computing power of the Super Calculation Center was roughly equivalent to all the computing power possessed by humans in the 2050s in the Eighth Timeline.
Four days later, all the calculations finally converged into one answer.
The answer was a small mound about ten meters high.
In fact, Harrison had passed by this mound more than once before but didn’t think much of it.
There were at least a thousand mounds like this in the valley of the mountain range, and they were so common that they hardly deserved mention.
But after double calculations of statistics and probability, combined with an analysis of the geological tendencies of small plate movements, a highly unusual conclusion emerged.
The probability that this mound was formed due to the natural movement of the earth’s crust plates was less than 1%, and it took countless coincidences to form it.
If there was anything unnatural or abnormal in Hammersley Ridge, it had to be this mound.
Harrison took immediate action, collecting samples, testing half-lives, and material compositions.
The results came out quickly.
The soil in the mound seemed no different from ordinary soil, but it was actually mantle material.
By measuring the half-life, Harrison found that the soil samples he had collected from different depths underwent violent chemical reactions at different times, with changes occurring from the outer layer to the inner layer at multi-gradient progressive intervals, dating back to thirty years ago, fifty-six years ago, seventy-two years ago, and all the way back to four hundred and twenty years ago.
The case was solved.
Sergey’s base was located directly below this spot in the Earth’s mantle.
He went back to base and started building a manned drilling exploration machine.
Two days later, he returned to the site and started digging.
The drill bit rumbled down along the position of the mound.
The powerful superalloy drill bit broke through the soil layer, then the rock layer, collided head-on with the iron ore layer and the silicate layer, slowed down slightly, and continued to advance.
Fourteen hours later, the exploration drill reached a depth of 50 kilometers underground.
At this point, he had completely entered the mantle and was in the midst of a magma melting structure.
This was not his first time going underground, so he was quite familiar with it, but this time he didn’t have the composite shield on his vehicle. Although the alloy drill bit would not easily melt, the high temperatures inside the vehicle were almost unbearable, and even his carefully designed temperature control system couldn’t withstand it.
The temperature in the cabin was rising rapidly, and Harrison was sweating profusely.
His judgment was correct; there was indeed a huge metal structure here, but the outer shell of the structure had a composite shield, and he couldn’t get in.
No matter how much he increased the drill bit’s power, he couldn’t advance an inch further.
After five minutes of effort, the cabin temperature had already exceeded 100 degrees, and the temperature control system was about to fail due to overload within a minute.
Harrison was infuriated and wanted to curse at the sky, thinking it was like seeing a ghost.
I, a Galaxy Warrior, can’t be thwarted by being underground on Earth, can I?
Back in the day, not to mention the mantle, I’d even been to the Earth’s Core.
Should I retreat and improve my equipment before coming back down?
Harrison quickly rejected the idea.
Although the drill bit was a hastily produced project, it had indeed pushed all the available parts to their limits, and without a shield, this was as good as it could get.
With his own abilities, there was no way he could revolutionize the technology and going back wouldn’t help either.
October 27th wasn’t far away, and time was running out.
Just as he felt like there was no way forward or back, the shield ahead suddenly changed.
The drill bit slid through without any resistance, entering an open space, and fell toward the metal shell layer a hundred meters below.
As Harrison was wondering if he should abandon the cabin and escape, so he wouldn’t crash into a sandwich cookie, dozens of metal arms appeared from below, firmly grasping the drill bit and setting it down gently.
After stopping, Harrison tried to open the cabin door, but the metal arms that were holding the drill bit were pressing against the outward-opening door.
He turned on the radio communicator, dialed the full-frequency radio communication, and asked, “Is there anyone there?”
“Follow me.”
A youth’s voice came through the communicator in Chinese.
Harrison was stunned, confused.
“Sergey?”
He asked again.
The youth replied again, “Follow me.”
Harrison was furious, “Then at least open my door!”
He was met with yet another “Follow me.”
Harrison could confirm this was not a recording, because there was a real person speaking on the other side, as each “follow me” was slightly different in tone and intonation, seemingly more and more impatient.
He was also getting impatient, so he tried to forcefully kick the cabin door open, only to realize it would be an impossible task considering the alloy could withstand the intense pressure of the mantle.
“I know you’re Sergey, stop playing games. I’m Harrison Clark; open the door for me, I can’t get out.”
Harrison thought for a moment, saying so.
About ten seconds later, those stupid and dull metal arms finally let go.